CSKA Moscow will meet Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv in their third consecutive Euroleague final after edging out local side Tau Ceramica 83-79 at the Final Four.

In the first semi-final Maccabi needed to show all their big-match experience to come from behind and beat outsiders Montepaschi Siena 92-85. The final and third-place playoff are on Sunday.

Favourites CSKA were pushed all the way by Tau and only made the decisive break with four minutes remaining when a run of eight points without reply, including four from reigning Euroleague MVP Theo Papaloukas, gave them a 69-61 lead.

There had been little to separate the sides over the first three periods with the team from Vitoria taking a six-point lead into halftime, and CSKA edging back to lead by a point at 57-56 at the start of the fourth.

David Andersen and Ramunas Siskauskas top-scored for the Russians with 16 points each, while Igor Rakocevic led the scoring for the Spaniards with 19.

"It's very special to be in the final again. I have been very lucky to coach teams at seven final fours and every time we have made the final," CSKA coach Ettore Messina said.

"Because it is the 50th anniversary (of European club basketball) it is particularly emotional personally and for the team."

Maccabi had Brazilian Alex Garcia and Derrick Sharp to thank for steering them to their comeback win with 19 and 17 points respectively.

Siena, who have just walked away with the Italian regular season title, raced to an 8-0 lead before the Israeli team got off the mark in the first semi-final, and their rock-solid defence kept their more illustrious rivals at bay.

They led 20-8 going into the second period and threatened to run riot after building a 18-point lead, with Terrell McIntyre marshalling their attack. The American guard finished with a game high 26 points.

But Maccabi battled back in the third, and guard Garcia fired in from outside the arc to send them into the final quarter just three behind at 64-61.

The Maccabi fans found their voices and David Bluthenthal and then Will Bynum put them in front for the first time with back-to-back three-point shots.

Montepaschi, who had lost all eight of their previous encounters with the 2004 and 2005 title winners, drew level at 78-78 with two minutes to go but it was to no avail.

"At halftime, I saw people sitting with their heads down. I said, 'Guys, it's 12 points. That's nothing.' We fixed the defence, started showing more aggressiveness, and started shooting better," Maccabi coach Zvi Sherf said.

"We also had the help of the big heart of Alex Garcia. He has a heart that goes from here to Tel Aviv to Brazil."

Reuters