FC Barcelona have given Real Madrid fits all season, no matter what the competition.

On Thursday night, Ettore Messina and Madrid finally turned the tables and defeated their rivals 70-63 in the Euroleague to level their best-of-five Quarter-Final showdown at one game apiece.

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The recent addition to the Real squad, rising Croatia star Ante Tomic, did most of the damage.

Messina’s men constantly fed Tomic in the low post and the 23-year-old delivered big style, making 10 of 15 shots on his way to a game-high 22 points.

The 2.17m Tomic also made his presence felt on defense, swatting four shots.

“I am very happy because I had the opportunity to show what I can do in such a high-level game like this is,” Tomic said. “Nobody knows me at this level and maybe that is why I played so well. I hope to do better and better in the upcoming games.”

Messina was very happy with his youngster.

“Tomic had a very good game, showing that we have found a player that gives us a reason to look to the future,” Messina said. “He is mature, is learning fast and we are happy to have brought him here.”

Pablo Prigioni, the Real Madrid playmaker and the starting point guard of Argentina’s national team, had 12 points, four assists, four rebounds and three steals.

Even he had praise for Tomic, who played just over 33 minutes.

“Ante Tomic is giving our frontcourt a lot of consistency,” Prigioni said. “He is just what we needed and I hope we can help him to get better.”

As good as Tomic was, Messina said Madrid won thanks to his players’ execution on both ends of the floor.

“We played with a very good attitude, helping each other on the court, accepting our mistakes as part of the game, rebounding well and taking care of the ball on offense,” he said. “We had five turnovers and that was the key to this game.”

The Madrid defense caused Barcelona all sorts of problems.

Juan Carlos Navarro had just four points on one of nine shooting, including zero for four from three-point range, while his fellow Spain international backcourt mate Ricky Rubio drilled just one of his seven shots from the floor and had five points.

Barcelona were six of 23 (26%) from three-point range overall while Madrid wreaked havoc closer to the basket, making 22 of their 43 shots inside the arc..

The series now shifts to Madrid for Game 3 on Tuesday.

Remembering that Messina led CSKA Moscow to a couple of Euroleague crowns and two runners-up finishes, and looking at his star-studded roster, it’s safe to say that Barcelona have a fight on their hands to reach Paris.

Maccabi Tel Aviv leveled their series with Partizan Belgrade by winning 98-78 at home.

For the winners, Andrew Wisniewski and David Bluthenthal each had 17 points, D’Or Fischer 15, Alan Anderson 14 and Doron Perkins 10.

Maccabi must now show they can win in the hot atmosphere of the Pionir in Belgrade.

CSKA Moscow and Olympiacos are each one victory away from reaching the Final Four.

Lithuania international Linas Kleiza erupted for 26 points as Olympiacos defeated Asseco Prokom 90-73 at home.

Kleiza dominated, coming up a rebound shy of a double-double.

Greece international Theo Papaloukas, a former Final Four MVP with CSKA, made four of six shots from long range on his way to 20 points.

CSKA whipped Caja Laboral for the second straight game, 83-63.

Six players reached double figures in scoring for CSKA but one who did not – emerging Russia national team star Sasha Kaun – may have had the best game overall.

The 24-year-old center had nine points, eight rebounds and a block for Evgeny Pashutin’s team.

Read the original article at FIBA.com.