By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
A revamped Unics Kazan showed that despite its many summer changes, it will once again compete for nothing else than the EuroCup title.
With Stephan Lasme terrorizing close to the rim (12, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks) and Jamar Smith and Quino Colom adding their touch with 13 points respectively, the Russian team downed Andorra 76 – 68 on the road.
The hosts lacked a difference-making offensive pole (Oh Giorgi where art thou?). Jaka Blazic had 11 points, David Jelinek 10 and Andrew Albicy 7 points plus 7 assists.
It was its best appearance ever in a pan-European competition and what a fine match it was for Fiat Turin that beat Cedevita 86 – 83 in Zagreb thanks to a dominant second half.
The Croatian team was up 47 – 39 but their opponents scored 47 after the break with Trevor Mbakwe (20 points, 5 rebounds), Diante Garrett (17 points, 5 assists) and Lamar Patterson (15 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists) leading the charge.
Demetrius Nichols had 17 and Andrija Stipanovic 15 for Cedevita.
Last but definitely not least, David Blatt’s Darussafaka premiered in this season’s competition by outlasting Boris Diaw’s Levallois Metropolitans in France.
Group A Standings:
|
#
|
TEAM
|
PTS
|
MP
|
W
|
L
|
POINTS
|
+/-
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GROUP A | ||||||||
|
1
|
FIAT TORINO
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
86 – 83
|
3
|
||
|
2
|
UNICS KAZAN
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
76 – 68
|
8
|
||
|
3
|
DARUSSAFAKA BASKETBOL
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
69 – 64
|
5
|
||
|
4
|
KK CEDEVITA
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
83 – 86
|
-3
|
||
|
5
|
PARIS LEVALLOIS
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
64 – 69
|
-5
|
||
|
6
|
MORABANC ANDORRA
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
68 – 76
|
-8
|
||