RUS - CSKA prove too strong for Maccabi Tel Aviv

MOSCOW (Euroleague) - Defending Euroleague champions CSKA Moscow moved a step closer to their fifth consecutive Final Four after thrashing Maccabi Tel Aviv 80-58 in Game One of their best-of-three quarter-final.

Trajan Langdon led the winners with 16 points, while Thomas Van den Spiegel poured in 11 - including four spectacular dunks in the final two minutes.

CSKA held a 22-6 lead after 10 minutes, and although Nikola Vujcic (10 points) tried to inspire a Maccabi fightback, the Israeli champions were playing catch-up for the rest of the game

The Russians methodically picked at their opponent's defense with Matjaz Smodis and Van den Spiegel getting easy baskets to end the third quarter 56-34 ahead, with the teams trading 24 points apiece in the final period.

Maccabi coach Neven Spahija admitted his side had been beaten by the better team.

"CSKA is such a strong team and that's the main reason we played badly tonight," he said.

"I'm not happy because we played without confidence and didn't know what to do. I won't say that I'm disappointed in my players, but I expected more from them.

"But sometimes you have to admit that the opponent is better. They are the best team in Europe."

In the other quarter-finals, CSKA's city neighbours Dynamo Moscow were overwhelmed in a 80-58 defeat to Panathiniakos.

The Greeks were boosted before tip-off by the return from injury of Ramunas Siskauskas, and he scored 16 points as Pana opened up a 46-27 half-time lead before closing out the game.

Sani Becirovic top-scored for the winners with 17 points, and he put any hopes of a Dynamo comeback out of reach in the final quarter with consecutive baskets as Panathinaikos ended the game still attacking at full speed.

Completing the success of home teams across the board, Unicaja and Tau Ceramica saw off the challenges of Winterthur FC Barcelona and Olympiacos with 91-75 and 84-59 victories respectively.

In the highest-scoring game of the night, Unicaja had Marcus Faison to thank for their win, as his 17 points turned the game around after the hosts had fallen 24-17 behind to Barcelona by the end of the first period.

They bounced back to edge ahead at the midway point (46-40), but came into their own in the second half where a 45-35 run helped them to a comprehensive victory.

And Igor Rakocevic led all scorers with 24 points for Tau Ceramica, whose lead over Olympiacos was 12 points (40-28) at half-time before a 44-31 second-half run secured the win.

David Broome
FIBA