Top 16 Week 5 saw three teams gobble up first place in their respective groups and another team march into the playoffs, but left three spots on the table for an exciting Top 16 finale next week. Perhaps more remarkable than anything else in an amazing week of do-or-die clashes and records set was that three-quarters of the week’s eight contest were won by the road team. The week opened Wednesday when Lietuvos Rytas stunned Panathinaikos 67-68 on a pair of Khalid El-Amin free throws with 3.1 seconds left to infuse plenty of drama into Group E. The Lithuanian champs matched the Greek champs atop the group at 3-2 and ensured that no team would clinch a playoff berth in that group this week. On Thursday, Caja Laboral blasted Unicaja 78-63 to join a three-way tie atop the group. Marcelinho Huertas shined with 18 points and 5 assists to lead the Spanish champs, who visit Lietuvos Rytas in a pivotal Week 6 clash. Reigning Euroleague champion Regal FC Barcelona outlasted Maccabi Electra 85-92 after overtime to stay perfect in the Top 16 and clinch first place in Group F. Maccabi led by double figures early, but Barcelona stormed back and even after the hosts forced overtime with an unlikely series of events, Barcelona prevailed. Former Maccabi big man Terence Morris paced Barca with 19 points. On Wednesday, Lottomatica Roma bested Olimpija 76-87 in Group F for its first win of the Top 16 and snapping a five-game losing streak in the Euroleague. Nihad Djedovic scored 20 and grabbed 4 steals to lead the winners. Real Madrid overcame Partizan mt:s 56-61 in Belgrade behind 21 points from Ante Tomic to wrap up Group G. Madrid took the lead when it held Partizan to just 6 second-quarter points for an 18-33 halftime edge. Both teams struggled with their outside shooting, going a combined 2 for 30. Montepaschi Siena KO’d Efes Pilsen 88-76 in a head-to-head duel for second place in that group. Milovan Rakovic paced the winners with 15 points. Thursday opened with a pair of Group H results. First Power Electronics Valencia edged Zalgiris 74-80 as Jeremy Richardson and Nando De Colo netted 17 points apiece and Omar Cook tied a Top 16 record with 12 assists. Later Olympiacos downed Fenerbahce Ulker 65-80 to win Group H. The outcome was sealed on a last-second three-pointer by Theo Papaloukas that gave the visitors the outcome they needed to clinch the top spot. Papaloukas also became the competition’s career leader in games played with his performance. Now the stage is set for six teams to keep fighting for three remaining playoff tickets in the last games of the Top 16 next week.