By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
In a battle between Basketball Champions League powerhouses, Hapoel Jerusalem shot 16-29 3-pointers to rout Pinar Karsiyaka 85 – 65 on the road and grab a crucial win that improves them to 2-3 in Group B.
Not only did Jerusalem get the away victory over Karsiyaka but also grabbed the tiebreaker since the Turkish side had won by two in the teams’ opener. The squad from Izmir is also 2-3 and can be eliminated in the upcoming last round of the regular season when they visit Stal Ostrow (1-3 with one game less).
Jerusalem made its point clear early in this match with a 26 – 12 entrance in the first period and never trailed afterward. When Karsiyaka came at a shooting distance (59-62) early in the fourth period, they faced a 0 – 9 response that thwarted their comeback hopes.
Jalen Adams led the charge in this rain of triples by Hapoel with 21 points on 5-8 threes. Retin Obasohan scored a game-high 22 points while dishing out five assists and Adam Ariel dropped 11 points.
Amath M’Baye (12 points, five rebounds) and James Blackmon (12 points) were Karsiyaka’s top scorers while Alex Tyus had 11 points plus nine rebounds. Even though the hosts weren’t anywhere near as effective as Hapoel from downtown, they managed to cut a 20-point second-quarter deficit to five at halftime (35-40) and remained relatively close. Hapoel had a dominant finish though that led to their Karsiyaka’s collapse.
Photo: FIBA