Efes triumph in Istanbul derby, Crvena Zvezda win

The two sides shared a Top 16 record of 3-6 in Group E heading into the contest but it was Efes who prevailed in a 72-68 triumph to break the tie and move clear into fifth place with a record of 4-6.

The game was contested right up until the last possession, when Darussafaka could have tied or won the game, but the Efes defence forced an airball and Thomas Heurtel was on hand at the other end to bank his free throws and secure the win.

He finished with 21 points, supported well by Jayson Granger (14) and Cedis Osman (13), while Elija Johnson scored 11 in his first Euroleague game.

The result means it is a long way back into the playoff places for Darussafaka who trail fourth place Crvena Zvezda by two wins.

The Serbian giants were in action themselves as they took an important 69-67 won against Greece's Panathinaikos.

Crvena Zvezda trailed by eight points after the first quarter and reduced that deficit to three by the end of the second, running away with the game in the second half.

Tarence Kinsey scored 19 points, with Quincy Miller picking up 16 for the victors, while Elliot Williams top-scored for Panathinaikos with 17.

Elsewhere, there were wins for Spanish rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona, who beat Zalgiris Kuanas (90-75) and CSKA Moscow (100-98) respectively.