By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
A 20-9 run in the third quarter helped Khimki prevail over Laboral Kutxa at home (76-68). This was the second win for the Russians in group F (2-1), whereas the Spaniards suffered their second straight loss (1-2).
For the winners, Alexey Shved was tremendous, with 24 points, five rebounds and five assists, as James Augustine scored 22 and grabbed eight boards. On the other hand, Fabien Causeur had nine points and eight boards for the losing squad, with no player of the Spanish team scoring in double figures.
The match started with both teams playing good defence, however neither Khimki nor Laboral Kutxa could take control of the game (6-6, 10-11). The hosts, though, went on a 7-1 run and closed the first quarter with a five-point advantage (17-12).
The visitors, though, responded and tied the game (19-19), behind a 7-2 run of their own. Later, things didn’t change much (26-28, 32-32) and the first half ended in a draw (39-39), after Augustine (16 points in the first 20 minutes) hit a three-pointer at the buzzer.
In the second half, the match continued to be close (48-48), but Khimki enhanced its overall performance, went on an 11-0 run and took a double-digit lead (59-48), after 30 minutes in the game. In the last quarter, Laboral Kutxa tried to make a come-back, cutting the deficit to six (63-57) and seven points (68-61), respectively, however the Russians stood tall (71-61) and claimed a crucial victory at home.