Maccabi, CSKA advance to championship game
The semifinals at the Community of Madrid Sports Palace in Madrid were truly exciting. In the first game, Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat Montepaschi Siena 85-92. Spirited play from Alex Garcia and team captain Derrick Sharp, who both scored season-highs off the bench, led an effort of 70 points from reserves. Garcia paced Maccabi with 19 points and Sharp scored 17. Terrell McIntyre led Montepaschi with 25 points in defeat.
In the other semifinal, CSKA edged Tau 79-83 to reach the championship game. Theo Papaloukas led a 0-10 run that gave CSKA the lead for good and Ramunas Siskauskas, that season’s EuroLeague MVP, iced the game from the foul line, finishing the night with 16 points as one of five CSKA scorers in double figures.