CSKA Moscow defeated UNICS Kazan on the road, 88-75 (23-22, 22-19, 16-14, 27-20).
Top Scorers
UNICS: Jamar Smith (16), Stephane Lasme (15 + 6 reb), Trent Lockett (15 + 7 reb)
CSKA: Will Clyburn (16 + 7 reb), Cory Higgins (15), Nando De Colo (15 + 8 ast), Sergio Rodriguez (14 + 6 ast)
Story
CSKA and UNICS put perfect records on the line Sunday in Kazan, with the Army Men securing a 13-point win on the road.
The game was closer than indicated by the final score. UNICS only trailed by four at halftime and cut the deficit to three early in the 4th quarter, but CSKA was able to pull away midway through the period on back-to-back triples from Sergio Rodriguez.
Throughout the game, Rodriguez and Nando De Colo dominated for Moscow, combining to score 29 points and dish out 14 assists.
UNICS got solid production from Jamar Smith, Stephane Lasme and Trent Lockett and outrebounded CSKA by six, but it wasn’t enough to overcome 4-18 shooting from beyond the arc.
CSKA improves to 9-0, while UNICS drops to 6-1.
Highlights
. @unicsbasket vs. @cskabasket one minute highlights 📹 pic.twitter.com/SP6oYGlqmU
— VTB United League (@VTBUL) December 10, 2017
Stat
20 – UNICS had 20 more field-goal attempts than CSKA (70 vs. 50) thanks to an edge in rebounding. The Army Men, however, were much more efficient shooting the ball.
Quotes
UNICS head coach Dimitris Priftis:
– This was a tough game against a strong team. We were very close almost the entire game. We were chasing CSKA, but in the final quarter we weren’t good enough on defense. CSKA punishes you for every mistake and weakness, and they are very effective doing so. But we battled and pulled down 20 offensive rebounds. Our outside shooting, though, was very poor and we shot free throws at a low percentage.
CSKA head coach Dimitris Itoudis:
– I’m grateful to the team for another road win against a strong team. The game wasn’t easy. We didn’t have much time to prepare because of our EuroLeague game. We showed toughness from the start to finish and won each quarter. Our defense was excellent. Our main problem was our rebounding. UNICS had 20 offensive rebounds, which gave them extra opportunities to shoot. Overall, we controlled the pace of the game. We had six players score in double digits, we shared the ball and read the game. Everyone played a part in the win, which is very important. Not only those who scored points, but also Semyon Antonov, Victor Khryapa and Pavel Korobkov, who did their part on defense and passed the ball when necessary.
Up Next
UNICS: December 17 away vs. Astana
CSKA: December 25 home vs. Astana
Photos
