CSKA beat Samara at home — 95:82 (22:20, 21:20, 31:24, 21:18).
The best scorers
CSKA: Casper Ware (27), Alexey Shved (20 + 11 assists), Livio Jean-Charles (15 + 7 rebounds), Dallas Moore (11)
Samara: Malcolm Thomas (19 + 13 rebounds), Anton Kardanakhishvili (12), KC Rivers (12)
Game progress
Both teams have played 15 games this season. But CSKA was undefeated, then Sergey Bazarevich team has only 6 wins. So the hosts looked like obvious favorite of the game.
Despite this, the first half was equal. Samara used Nikola Milutinov absence and CSKA tried to find the way how the team can handle with Samara American players. In an equal game in first quarter, the leader changed six times and although Anton Astapkovich let CSKA to lead with free-throws, the difference was minimal — 22:20.
Samson Ruzhentsev came out at the beginning of the second quarter and made the hosts lead by 7 points, but the Army team did not have the lead for a long time. By the middle of the quarter, Filip Gafurov and Anton Kardanakhishvili got back the balance with three-pointers and Malcolm Thomas returned the lead with the second chance dunk. By the halftime, CSKA still had the lead — 43:40.
The key moment
The beginning of the third quarter almost repeated the scenario of the second – the Moscow team immediately led by 8 points, but Samara caught up with the hosts and equalized the score with three-pointers again. But then CSKA shooters started working. Casper Ware made 3 threes in a row and Alexey Shved added 5 points. And Livio Jean-Charles 4 points, the hosts lead became double-digit for the first time – 67:57.
Samara tried to make a comeback, but was behind only by 8-10 points. Ware made CSKA led by 16 points with another three and the intrigue has gone. The Army team confidently gets the 16th winy in a row.
Hero
Casper Ware played his best game of the season. He helped his team to make a breakthrough run in the third quarter and was close to beat the career high (29 points), which he set in last year’s game against Enisey.
Numbers
44% – CSKA three-point percentage helped to get the decisive lead.
What’s next
CSKA: home game against Lokomotiv Kuban on December 16
Samara: road game versus Enisey on December 16
