Astana defeated Parma at home, 88-73 (21-15, 21-13, 22-28, 24-17).
Top Scorers
Astana: Ousman Krubally (21+12 reb), Rob Lowery (16+7 reb+5 ast), Ian Miller (15), Leonidas Kaselakis (11+8 reb)
Parma: Sergei Chernov (14+6 ast), Konstantin Bulanov (13), Sasa Zagorac (11+5 reb), Maxim Dybovskii (10+8 reb)
Build-Up
Leading 16-13 late in the 1st quarter, Astana put together a 25-8 run over the next 11 minutes to seize control of the game. Parma, who is trying to integrate several new pieces on the fly and deal with the departure of star guard Danilo Andjusic, looked out of sorts on offense.
The visitors rallied, however, to finish the first half, cutting the deficit to 14 on a 7-1 run. Shooting guard Jordan Callahan scored his first field goal in a Parma uniform with 23 seconds remaining, making it a 42-28 game heading into the locker room.
Astana led by 17 early in the 3rd quarter after a Rod Odom 3-pointer, before Parma stormed to within three points on a 15-1 run.
The visitors got back in the game at the free-throw line and beyond the arc, stunning the Velotrek crowd.
Parma got as close as two points, 52-50, with 3:30 to play in the 3rd quarter.
Turning Point
Needing a response, big man Ousman Krubally scored four straight, including a three-point play, pushing the lead back to six.
Rob Lowery and Ian Miller would go back to hit back-to-back three’s late in the quarter, staking Astana to an eight-point advantage, 64-56, with 10 minutes to go.
The visitors never really threatened down the stretch, trailing by as much as 17 midway through the 4th quarter.
Astana picks up another big win, 88-73, in the push for the playoffs. Parma falls to 0-16.
Star
Ousman Krubally. The Astana big man put up 21 points and 12 rebounds in a winning performance, including four huge points when Parma had cut the lead to two late in the 3rd quarter.
Play
Quotes
Parma head coach Viacheslav Shushakov:
– I’m happy with my guys’ play. Of course, we could have used Ukhov’s three-point shooting, but he’s injured. We also lacked consistency. We competed the best we could on defense. Of course, Astana is stronger than us right now.
Astana head coach Ilias Papatheodorou:
– We played very well on defense at the beginning, especially against Parma’s leaders. Specifically, we did a good job defensively on Chernov. We lost our concentration for a short time in the 3rd quarter, but then we were able to regain control and secured the win.
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Up Next
Astana: March 18 at VEF
Parma: March 11 vs. Khimki
