ISTANBUL
Real Madrid took a big step toward securing a play-in spot with a crucial 96-91 victory Thursday over FC Barcelona in Round 27 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague regular season.
The win propelled Real Madrid to 10th place with a 14-13 record, keeping their postseason hopes alive.
Croatian forward Mario Hezonja led the charge for Madrid, scoring 18 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Alberto Abalde and Dzanan Musa each contributed 16 points, while Argentinian playmaker Facundo Campazzo added 18 points, despite registering just one assist.
On the away side, Joel Parra had a career-best night in the EuroLeague, tallying 20 points and seven rebounds. Justin Anderson also delivered a strong performance with 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
With this victory, Real Madrid and Barcelona now share a 14-13 record. However, Madrid holds the tiebreaker, having won both regular-season encounters against their arch-rivals. As a result, Barcelona dropped to 11th place, falling outside the play-in zone.
Teams ranked 7th to 10th in the standings will advance to the EuroLeague Play-In Tournament, where they will compete for a spot in the playoffs.
Other results:
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade – Zalgiris Kaunas: 80 – 86
Paris Basketball – FC Bayern Munich: 93 – 88
EA7 Emporio Armani Milano – AS Monaco: 86 – 80
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv – Fenerbahce Beko: 94-76
