By Eurohoops Team / info@eurohoops.net
KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz managed to get past Khimki Moscow Region on the road (77 – 85) and improve to a 7-8 record. Meanwhile, the hosts keep struggling without their superstar, Alexey Shved.
The Spanish side started the game off with a 3-12 run, causing coach Georgios Bartzokas to call an early time-out. Eventually, after the end of the first quarter, the visitors were up by eight points (19-27), thanks to Shavon Shields’ offensive repertoire. In the second quarter, Baskonia went up by double-digits (21-36). The hosts managed to respond with a mini run of their own and the first half ended, 36-43.
The game was interrupted in the beginning of the third quarter, as Tornike Shengelia shattered the glass of the Khimki backboard with his dunk attempt. Eventually after a 20 minute break, Dee Bost knocked down back-to-back three-pointers, to bring his team within three-points and make it a one possession game (42-45). The break favored the hosts, as they even went up ahead (54-52) thanks to Jordan Mickey’s and-one bucket.
Besides, Shields also admitted that the team lost its rhythm in the third quarter: “When the backboard broke we kind of lost our rhythm, but everybody chipped in in the third and fourth quarters, executing down the stretch to win. My teammates were finding me and I knocked down shots, so thanks to them. We lost to Barcelona last week and that was one we needed to get, but it was good to take another one on the road and hopefully, we will keep going up from here.”
In the fourth-quarter, Baskonia got its rhythm back and with an 0-7 run went up ahead by six points (58-64). Huertas facilitated the offense and the trio of Voigtmann, Hilliard and Janning finished off Khimki with lay-ups, dunks and three-pointers. With four minutes remaining, the visitors were up by double-digits (67-80), and since that point, could not find ways to respond.
After starting the game off hot with 13 points in the first period, Shields finished the contest with 15, while Darrun Hilliard added 14. Huertas also affected the game for the winners with his 10 assists. For the losing side, Jordan Mickey put up a game-high 19 points.
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