Shaq McKissic leads Olympiacos past Panathinaikos in EuroLeague classic
Shaq McKissic made his home debut in the EuroLeague with Olympiacos and led the “Reds” to the 81-78 victory over rivals Panathinaikos.
In game where neither team led by more than eight points at any stage, McKissic made a stellar performance and helped Olympiacos remain alive in the playoff race.
McKissic posted a game-high 22 points, including several spectacular dunks, and was the main reason for the “Reds’ triumph.
On the other hand, Nick Calathes scored a team-high 18 points, while DeShaun Thomas missed the chance to force an overtime on the final play.
Olympiacos improved to 12-15 and maintained a playoff push, whereas Panathinaikos fell to 14-13, but remained sixth in the standings.
Despite playing without five players, Real Madrid won its sixth consecutive EuroLeague game, after beating Armani Milano on the road (73-78).
The game was played behind closed doors, due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.
The “Whites” came back twice from double-digit deficits (25-11, 45-35) and managed to earn the victory, despite the Italians’ late effort to ”steal” the win.
Vladimir Micov missed the three-pointer, though, with a chance to tie the game, and the Spaniards sealed the deal.
Rudy Fernandez led the winners with 16 points, while Riccardo Moraschini paced Milano with a career-high 21.
Real raised its record to 21-6 and has already qualified for the EuroLeague playoffs. For its part, Armani is at 11-16 and its playoff hopes are in jeopardy.
Zalgiris Kaunas led from start to finish and rallied past Khimki at the Zalgirio Arena (96-85).
The Lithuanians won their third in a row and sixth in their last seven games and are still fighting for a playoff spot.
Both teams have identical records (12-15), with Zalgiris capturing the head-to-head tiebreaker between them.
The game also snapped an eight-game winning streak for Khimki in games between the teams.
CSKA Moscow returned to the winning track by holding off Russian rival Zenit St Petersburg at home (86-78).
The Muscovites improved to 18-9 and are on the verge of qualifying for the EuroLeague postseason.
Zenit, on the other hand, remains at the bottom of the EuroLeague standings with a 7-20 record.
Mike James shined for the hosts with a team-high 27 points. Austin Hollins had a game-high 28 for the losing squad.
ASVEL Villeurbanne picked up a much-needed victory by fending off Valencia 72-65 at home.
The French put an end to a three-game losing streak and now have a 10-17 record.
For their part, the Spaniards dropped their third straight and are 12-15 on the season.
Valencia had grabbed four wins in the last five road games, but the defeat was a blow in their fight for the playoffs.