Real with Monaco at the top of the Euroleague standings, Berlin continues
There may be only two Euroleague co-leaders left – three maximum if Barcelona wins in Villeurbanne on Wednesday (8 p.m.) – at the end of the 18th day, the first of the return phase. At the same time as AS Monaco won on the wire at home against Olympiakos (64-60), Real Madrid strolled to Red Star Belgrade (79-59), carried by their pivot Walter Tavares , author of a double-double (17 points, 12 rebounds, 35 evaluation).
A performance of choice while the French club merengue were rather good lieutenants, like Petr Cornelie (12 points, 5 rebounds), Vincent Poirier (5 points, 4 rebounds) or even Guerschon Yabusele (8 points ). Only Fabien Causeur did not weigh (0 point in 13 minutes) while Cornelie finished the game with a +/- (variation of the score when the player is on the ground) of 33, the best of the game.
Luwawu-Cabarrot best scorer but beaten
If he finished top scorer in Milan (16 points), winger Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot could not prevent his team’s defeat at Alba Berlin (63-83), which thus chained a third victory on the European scene, that of the revival having been acquired before the new year, at Asvel (91-79).
While the Basques could hope to come back up to Real and Roca Team, Vitoria paid a very bad start at Bayern Munich (34-24, 10th) and thus conceded a seventh defeat this season (92-79), despite Markus Howard’s 21 points.
Bologna loses big
In the fight for qualification for the play-offs, Virtus Bologna lost very big by losing at home against Kaunas (77-87). A setback in double-penalty mode since the Italian club lost its two regular season games against the Lithuanians, and is now two victories behind them (7th). And 8th place, which Anadolu Efes Istanbul (in Valencia) and Maccabi Tel Aviv (against Barça) will aim for on Wednesday, could also be two wins away.
Fenerbahçe recovers
After a period of sale, and a series of five defeats, Fenerbahçe Istanbul raised their heads on the floor of Panathinaikos. An extension was however necessary in Athens in order to decide between the two teams (88-94, ap), bent by Nigel Hayes-Davis, author of 24 points with a very consistent playing time (43 minutes). Leading a very large part of the meeting, the Pana swallowed 26 offensive rebounds (!), in vain.