By Stefan Djordjevic / sdjordjevic@eurohoops.net
Nizhny Novgorod came out on top in the deciding duel against Falco Szombathely with 73-68 on the scoreboard and secure a spot in the Basketball Champions League playoffs.
Nizhny has finished the regular season with a 4-2 record in Group D followed by Falco’s 3-3.
Artem Komolov scored 21 points for the winning side while Luke Petrasek and Kasey Shepherd added 13 each. Petrasek also grabbed nine rebounds.
For Falco, Akos Keller, Zoltan Perl, and Benedek Varadi scored 11 points each. Keller also logged eight boards.
While points off turnovers and the contribution from the bench gave Nizhny a 38-27 lead in the first half, the crucial moment of the game happened at the start of the fourth quarter and after Falco made a comeback.
The Hungarian team had a 49-48 lead but the Russians banked in four straight threes to start the final period and made a 12-0 run (60-49) which practically decided the outcome, although Falco did make an 8-0 run (70-68) in the final minutes which gave them some hope. Unfortunately for the visitors, it was too late.
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League