By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Thanks to a comeback and a 26 – 17 partial score in the final period, Bilbao outplayed Alba Berlin on the road, grabbing a crucial 92 – 88 win, its second in the Eurocup season . The German team could have advanced to the Top 16 with a victory, but has to postpone its plans.
After a balanced first half (46 – 44 for Alba) with each team controlling one period, the hosts entered the final stretch of the game with a 5-point lead, 71 – 66. But that’s when the Basques began their long range assault, dropping 15 points in the fourth quarter from the perimeter.
Alba couldn’t keep up with this kind of shooting spree, trailing by 8, 89 – 81 with 80 seconds to go. A deficit from which they weren’t able to recover since Bilbao wasn’t up for gifts from the free throw line.
Miha Lapornik led Bilbao with 18 points and Ivan Buva added 14 along with 8 rebounds. Elmedin Kikanovic and Niels Giffey dropped 20 points each for Alba.