Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes clinch home-court advantage in the EuroLeague playoffs

Shane Larkin made history once again on Friday night and helped Anadolu Efes clinch the home-court advantage in the EuroLeague playoffs.

Larkin became the first EuroLeague player ever to score 40 points a second time and tied his and Andrew Goudelock’s record with 10 three-pointers made.

The American guard led his team to the 91-79 victory over Olympiacos, with Anadolu Efes improving its record to 24-4.

Consequently, the Turks, who have already qualified for the playoffs, assure they will host Game 1 of the EuroLeague playoffs.

For their part, the “Reds” fell to 12-16 and share ninth place in the standings, one victory outside the playoff zone.

In a critical battle in the fight to reach the EuroLeague playoffs, Khimki dominated Fenerbahce at home (82-68).

Both teams now have identical records (13-15), but the Russians have the tiebreaker and are seventh on the table.

Alexey Shved led the winners with a game-high 23 points, as Khimki outscored Fenerbahce 41-28 in the second half to seal the deal.

In one of the most impressive comebacks of the season, Barcelona earned its ninth consecutive win after surviving Bayern Munich at home (83-80).

The Catalans were down by eight with four minutes to go (69-77). But, they closed the game on a 14-3 run to seal the deal, as Nikola Mirotic led the way with 28 points.

The Catalans, who have secured their place in the EuroLeague playoffs, raised their record to 22-6.

For their part, the Bavarians dropped to 8-20 and remained on the bottom of the standings.

Baskonia rallied from a 17-point deficit over 11 minutes to survive ALBA Berlin in a late thriller at home (73-72).

Baskonia trailed for almost 30 minutes and was down by 17 (39-56) in the final minute of the third quarter.

Yet, the Basques went on a 17-0 run and tied the game early in the fourth. But, the Germans never allowed Baskonia to take the lead until Matt Janning hit the game-winning three-pointer with 3.2 seconds left.

ALBA still had one final possession, but Tornike Shengelia blocked Luke Sikma’s attempt and handed his team the win.

This win lifted Baskonia into a five-team tie for the ninth-best record, 12-16. On the other hand, ALBA dropped to 9-19 and has been eliminated from the EuroLeague playoffs.

Crvena Zvezda kept alive its long-shot hopes for the EuroLeague playoffs by using its long-range attack for a 92-76 victory at home over Maccabi Tel Aviv.

The Serbians picked up a much-needed win, after having lost eight of their last nine games as well as four of their last five matches at home.

The Israelis, on the contrary, dropped to 19-9. Maccabi had its five-game winning streak snapped, however they have officially advanced to the postseason.