By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
CSKA Moscow prevailed over Real Madrid with a key 82-78 victory in Megasport Arena in Round 22 of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and managed to tie the Spanish side on the standings with a 17-5 record, climbing up to the second position.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game. Madrid is the defending champion and this is the second time we have won against them. That shows something. We are going game by game and are satisfied with the crowd – you see how good it is when they are a part of the equation, especially in the third quarter, when we needed it more”, commented Dimitris Itoudis in his post-game quotes.
Nando De Colo took charge for the Army Team, adding 21 points, four assists, and three rebounds in 26 minutes on the court, while Cory Higgins played a key role in the second half and finished with 15 points.
On the other end of the court, Anthony Randolph tried to save the day and posted a team-high performance of 20 points for the reigning champions, though he was unable to make Real’s comeback work despite the great effort in the final minutes of the game.
With the game hanging on a thread, Daniel Hackett (14 p.) drew two fouls by Randolph and Gustavo Ayon respectively, sealing the result for the hosts.