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CSKA secure playoff berth with win

CSKA Moscow produced a superb display to beat Olympiacos 96-64 and bounce back from their first defeat of the season by advancing through to the playoffs and clinching first place in Group E of the EuroLeague.

Andrey Vorontsevich scored 15 to lead six CSKA scorers in double figures as the team clinched its 10th successive Euroleague home win.

Later in the same group, Galatasaray Medical Park defeated rivals Anadolu Efes 64-56.

Luksa Andric scored 15 to lead the Euroleague debutantes, who travel to Olympiacos next week to battle for the remaining playoff ticket from the group. Galatasaray will advance if they win – or even if they lose by one point.

The defeat ended Efes’s hopes of reaching the Euroleague final four, which will be played on its home floor this season.

Wednesday’s other game was in Group E, where Gescrap BB edged Montepaschi Siena 60-59 with a Raul Lopez buzzer-beater.

The defeat denied Montepaschi a chance of reaching the playoffs, though the Spanish champions and Bilbao could both still advance this week if Unicaja beat Real Madrid on Thursday.

Marko Banic tallied 16 points and hit eight rebounds, while Lopez scored 15 for the men in black.