Game Center: CSKA is first Final Four qualifier!
The 2021 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four has its very first qualifier, none other than CSKA Moscow! The Russian powerhouse swept to a 3-0 series victory by stopping host Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in dominant fashion, 68-85, on Wednesday. CSKA broke its own all-time EuroLeague record by reaching its ninth consecutive Final Four. Elsewhere on Wednesday, FC Bayern Munich extended its series with AX Armani Exchange Milan to a fourth game with an 85-79 home victory, the first by the club or any German team in the EuroLeague Playoffs this century. FC Barcelona took a 2-1 lead against Zenit St Petersburg by winning on the road 70-78 as Brandon Davies starred with 22 points. And on Tuesday, it was Real Madrid staving off elimination with the biggest late-game rally for a regulation-time win in playoffs history, 80-76 over visiting Anadolu Efes Istanbul, which leads their series 2-1. Real hosts Efes for Game 4 on Thursday, while Bayern-M
Apr 29, 2021 by Euroleague.net Print
Turkish Airlines EuroLeague fans, we have this season s 37th winner in the EuroLeague FabFive Challenge!
Soric and his team Hakuna Matata beat everyone else in Game 3 of the playoffs. Soric had a FabFive score of 97.8 with the following players from ranges 1 to 5: Usman Garuba of Real Madrid (12.0), Kyle O Quinn of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (4.0), Iffe Lundberg of CSKA Moscow (26.4), Brandon Davies of FC Barcelona (26.4) and Vasilije Micic of Anadolu Efes Istanbul (29.0).
As his prize for finishing first in Game 3 of the playoffs, Soric wins a free subscription to Euroleague TV!
Soric guessed three of the players featuring in the top team possible in Game 3 of the playoffs. They were Garuba or his Real teammates Alex Tyus (12.0) in Range 1; Fabien Causeur also of Real, Zan Sisko of Bayern or his teammate JaJuan Johnson (10.8) in Range 2; Lundberg (26.4) in Range 3; Davies (26.4) in Range 4; and Wi
CSKA sweeps Fenerbahce to cinch 9th straight Final Four
CSKA Moscow didn’t waste any opportunity and finished off Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul on its first chance with a convincing 68-85 victory on the road to complete a 3-0 sweep for a ninth consecutive appearance in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. CSKA gave up the first 12 points of the game, but came back and took control of it for good with a 6-35 run spanning the second and third quarters. Will Clyburn was unstoppable with 34 points and a performance index rating of 38, while Iffe Lundberg chipped in 22 points and Johannes Voigtmann 11. Fenerbahce was swept from the playoffs for the first time and the club’s streak of five straight Final Four appearances was snapped. Nando De Colo led the way with 22 points while Marko Guduric had 10 points in the loss.
Apr 24, 2021 by Euroleague.net Print
It took six quarters before what we know as grind-it-out playoffs basketball came to the series between CSKA Moscow and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.
After both teams scored freely during the first half of Game 2, won 50-42 by CSKA, the action devolved into a war of free throws as the hosts went a full 8 minutes without a field goal and Fenerbahce drew within 52-51 late in the third quarter.
In such situations, when baskets are scarce because all shots are well contested, assist-making is like gold dust. And in this case, solid passes for rare open shots proved the difference as CSKA pulled away over the game s last 12 minutes to a 78-67 victory and a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.
Defense gives CSKA a 2-0 lead
CSKA Moscow moved within a victory of a record-breaking ninth consecutive Final Four when it downed visiting Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul by 78-67 on Friday in Game 2 of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs. With a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series, CSKA will have at three chances, if needed, to reach its ninth consecutive Final Four, which no team has done before. Game 3 will be in Istanbul next Wednesday. Fenerbahce led 32-35 before CSKA used a 14-2 run to take a 50-42 halftime lead. Fenerbahce held CSKA without a field goal for the first 8 minutes of the third quarter to cut the difference to 52-51, but couldn t tie or go ahead, after which CSKA slowly pulled away. Daniel Hackett led the winners with 14 points and 9 assists. Tornike Shengelia added 11 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, while Nikia Kurbanov chipped in 10 points. Marko Guduric led Fenerbahce with 27 points while Nando De Colo and Danilo Barthel had 9 each.