Real Madrid beat Fenerbahce Beko in EuroLeague, have home-court advantage in playoffs

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Already-qualified Real Madrid beat Turkish basketball club Fenerbahce Beko 90-75 in a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Round 31 game Wednesday to clinch a home-court advantage in the playoffs.

Bosnian forward Dzanan Musa led Real Madrid, scoring 16 points at Madrid's WiZink Center.

Fenerbahce Beko's US forward Nigel Hayes-Davis scored a game-high 17 points.

Nicknamed the Whites, Real Madrid led 49-44 by the end of the second quarter, but the Spanish club extended the gap to double digits in the third quarter to bag a comfortable win over the Istanbul team.

Last week, Real Madrid became the second team to reach the 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs.

Real Madrid are in second spot with 22 wins in 31 games. Greek club Olympiacos are going 22-9 to lead the regular season standings.

Fenerbahce Beko have an 18-13 win/loss record to be fifth in the league but are hopeful of being in the knockout stage.

The best eight teams will reach the playoffs once the regular season ends after Round 34 games on April 14.

Olympiacos, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Monaco reserved their places in the EuroLeague playoffs.

Fenerbahce Beko, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade and Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz are competing to be among the best eight clubs.

Ninth-place Zalgiris Kaunas and Anadolu Efes, who are 10th in the league, are challenging teams in higher ranks.

In a separate game, leaders Olympiacos hammered France's LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 81-55 at Peace and Friendship Stadium in Piraeus.

- Wednesday's results:

Zalgiris Kaunas - Monaco: 79-70

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade - Valencia Basket: 92-73

Olympiacos - LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne: 81-55

Real Madrid - Fenerbahce Beko: 90-75