In a classic battle that went down to the wire, CSKA Moscow sent Panathinaikos Superfoods Athens to its first home defeat of the season, a 70-75 decision on Friday night in the Greek capital. CSKA improved to 15-4 on the season, two games clear at the top of the standings, while Panathinaikos dropped to 12-7 in a share of the fourth place. After a tight first half, it was pure excitement in the second. Panathinaikos opened a 10-point early in the third quarter, but CSKA caught up before the end of the quarter. The teams traded blows in the fourth, before the visitors went on a 3-10 run to open a 63-71 margin. The lead almost disappeared, but Sergio Rodriguez hit a game-deciding triple with 49 seconds to go to help CSKA hold on. Rodriguez finished with 21 points on 4-for-6 from three-point land. Cory Higgins had 14 points, Othello Hunter added 12, and Nando De Colo 10 in victory. Nikos Pappas was the top scorer for the hosts with 14 points, while Nick Calathes collected 13 points, 11 assists and 6 rebounds. Thanasis Antetokounmpo also scored 13, while K.C. Rivers netted 11 points with 6 rebounds in his team’s first home loss of the season.
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