By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
It’s safe to say Rio Breogan made a great move by signing former NBA and AEK Athens player Ben McLemore before the Basketball Champions League Play-In series against Pinar Karsiyaka.
The experienced US guard led the charge in Lugo against the Turkish team with 24 points, avoiding elimination and forcing a decisive Game 3 in Izmir with an 80-73 victory.
McLemore was the force for most of the match, shooting 8-11 from the field and 5-7 from the free-throw line. His only focus was to score, so he finished the match without rebounds and with just one assist.
He had great help from Stefan Momirov and Juan Fernandez, especially in the final quarter. Serbian and Argentinian players made a significant contribution to Breogan’s last-quarter push and comeback. Fernandez finished the match with 15 points, while Momirov added 13. Matej Rudan was the only other player in double figures, scoring 10 points for the winning side.
Breogan had the biggest problems containing explosive Vernon Carey Jr, who finished the match with a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds. Erick McCollum added 14, and Darrun Hilliard scored 10 points, but they collectively shot 3/14 from beyond the arc, and each ended up with a PIR of nine.
Decisive Game 3 will be played on January 17th at Izmir.
Postgame press conference
Photo: fiba.basketball