RUS/ESP - CSKA and Unicaja complete Final Four

MOSCOW (Euroleague) - CSKA Moscow and Unicaja Malaga claimed the last two berths in the Euroleague Final Four, joining Panathinaikos and Tau Ceramica in the semi-finals.

Unicaja edged fellow Spaniards Wintertur Barcelona 67-64 in the decider of their best-of-three series in a game that was always a close affair.

Pepe Sanchez impressed again for the winners with 11 points and four rebounds but top scorer for the victors was Marko Tusek who also grabbed four boards.

Marcus Brown also hit double digits with 10 points while Ignacio De Miguel added seven boards to his eight points.

Francisco Vazquez accumulated 12 points for Barcelona while Gianluca Basile poured in 10.

In the last four, Unicaja will play CSKA who reached the Final Four for the fifth year in a row by drubbing Maccabi Elite 92-71.

The Russians poured in 32 points in a lightning first 10 minutes and never looked seriously threatened thereafter.

In a celebratory atmosphere they could even afford to ease up in the final minutes as they took the best-of-three series 2-1.

Trajan Langdon poured in 20 points for CSKA with eight of 12 shooting, four of them from beyond the arc.

David Andersen and Matjaz Smodis added 15 each while Theodoros Papaloukas and Oscar Torres each added 14.

Simas Jasaitis was the only Maccabi player to make double digits as he poured in 15.

Pana and Tau both reached the Final Four last week with a game to spare and will meet each other in the other semi with Vitoria-based Tau in line for a possible all-Spanish final with Unicaja.

Tom Ross
FIBA