EUROLEAGUE – Cibona beat Maccabi in Euroleague opener

ZAGREB (Euroleague) - Cibona Zagreb edged Maccabi Tel Aviv and Efes Pilsen scraped a one-point win over Partizan Belgrade on the final night of opening week action in the Euroleague.

There were also wins for Olympiacos, Alba Berlin, Barcelona, DKV Joventut and Real Madrid.

Davor Kus and Nikola Prkacin, two of Croatia's Olympians this summer, and Rawle Marshall had big games for Cibona on a night when European basketball legend Drazen Petrovic was remembered before tip-off.

Petrovic, who was killed in a car crash in 1993, would have been 44 on Thursday.

Kus had 23 points, making three of six from long range, while Marshall poured in 20 and Prkacin 14.

Last year's beaten finalists Maccabi lost key players after last season but also made a host of big-name signings.

One of the newcomers is Puerto Rico international Carlos Arroyo and he had 10 points. The point guard struggled from the floor, though, hitting just two of 13 shots including two of eight from behind the arc.

Recent acquisition Marcus Brown had five points.

D'Or Fischer, who joined in the summer from Bree, scored a game-high 26 and Israel international Lior Eliyahu 14 in defeat.

Efes Pilsen beat visiting Partizan Belgrade 61-60. Serbia captain Milos Vujanic, who led his national team to a first-place finish in EuroBasket Division A, Group A this summer, hit a three-ball late in the game to snap a 55-55 tie and the Turkish outfit stayed on top the rest of the way.

Turkey international Kerem Gonlum, one of his team's star performers in their unbeaten EuroBasket 2009 qualifying campaign, had seven rebounds to go with his nine points.

German champions Alba enjoyed a winning return to the Euroleague with a 68-63 win at home over Lottomatica Roma with Immanuel McElroy scoring 17.

The German side dominated the boards, 38-22.

Turkey international Ersan Ilyasova was unstoppable with 18 points and 12 rebounds for Barcelona in their 82-54 triumph at Nancy.

DKV Joventut have been winning without injured Spain guard Ricky Rubio and that didn't change at home in their Euroleague opener.

The Badalona team won 81-64 over Union Olimpija with Great Britain center Pops Mensah Bonsu scoring 14 points and grabbing nine rebounds to lead the way.

Quinton Hosley scored 17 points and Spain big man Felipe Reyes had 16 with six rebounds as Real Madrid won at home over Panionios 87-66.

Josh Childress, who turned his back on the NBA this season after signing a lucrative contract with Olympiacos, had 14 points and eight rebounds on his Euroleague debut as the Reds won 83-69 at Air Avellino.

FIBA