By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Hoping for Cholet to lose on the road in Malaga, Tofas Bursa could have also suffered a defeat in France against Strasbourg by no more than 23 points.
Massimo Cancellieri’s team tried its best and got the 78-65 victory, but it wasn’t enough to pull the miracle upset.
With Cholet’s loss in Spain, Strasbourg could have also qualified for the Quarter-Finals, but in the end, the Turkish side prevailed.
The home side’s backcourt dragged it from beginning to the end. Quinton Hooker, for example, ended with 12 points and 5 assists, while the 33-year-old Tyrus McGee added 11 points and 4 rebounds. After eliminating AS Monaco from the French Cup, Paul Lacombe had 17 points and 7 rebounds.
Cassius Winston was the reason why Tofas Bursa survived, as he limited the damage by scoring 19 points in the loss. Caleb Homesley had a 15-point losing effort but had huge difficulties shooting from the field (5/15).
Completing Group I on a six-game perfect winning streak, Unicaja Malaga got the home-court advantage in the Quarter-Finals. Surviving a disastrous night, Tofas Bursa advanced as 2nd despite losing record at 2-4.
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League