EUROLEAGUE – CSKA, Barca and Partizan win; Montepaschi sweep Fener (+ video)

ATHENS (Euroleague) – CSKA Moscow won at Olympiacos on Thursday and both Barcelona and Partizan Belgrade prevailed in their respective home games against Maccabi Tel Aviv and Tau Ceramica to leave all three Euroleague Quarter-Final ties knotted at one game apiece.

Runaway Italian league leaders Montepaschi Siena, meanwhile, stormed into the Final Four with a 2-0 sweep of Fenerbahce after an 86-65 mauling of the Bogdan Tanjevic’s team in Istanbul.

CSKA, winners two years ago in Prague and runners-up last year in Athens to Panathinaikos, fell to a Lynn Greer buzzer-beater on Tuesday but they held their nerve and won 83-73 in Piraeus.

Lithuania international Ramunas Siskauskas had 20 points while Trajan Langdon finished with 18 and Slovenia national team star Matjaz Smodis contributed 17 for CSKA.

Barcelona prevailed 83-74 over Maccabi Tel Aviv after Italy national team shooting guard Gianluca Basile lit up the scoreboard with 34 points – his career-high in the Euroleague.

Basile, who will be in the Italian national team squad this summer, was 12 of 23 from the floor. He drilled a scintillating six of 12 from behind the arc.

Argentina’s Pepe Sanchez, who recently announced his retirement from his national team, and Roger Grimau each scored 11 points for the Catalans.

Young Israeli Omri Casspi had 18 points for Maccabi – also a career-high.

Partizan Belgrade kept their European season alive with a 76-55 thrashing of Tau Ceramica at the Pionir.

Novica Velickovic, who has come out of nowhere to have a huge season for Partizan, had 17 points and 12 boards to lead his team.

Another Lithuania national team star took center stage for Montepaschi in their big win in Turkey.

Ksistof Lavrinovic, who will be with Siskauskas at the Beijing Olympics, had 18 points as Mens Sana rolled to victory.

Tau and CSKA will host the third game in their respective series on April 9 while Barcelona travel to Tel Aviv for that decider on April 10.

Highlights
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