CSKA defeated Astana at home – 96:66 (18:23, 29:15, 24:14, 25:14).
Game progress
CSKA started with six wins. Astana did not manage to play as many games, but also pleased fans – wins over Pari NN and Avtodor, 5th place before the game in Moscow.
Astana started the first quarter well. The guests won the quarter (23:18) with Royce Hamm assistance (13 points, 6 rebounds by halftime). CSKA relied on team play, which paid off in the second quarter as the starting five scored 25 points and the bench got 22 points (Astana rotation scored 3). The Army team had only 2 turnovers, made 69.6% of two-pointers and had the lead by the halftime – 47:38.
Key moment
CSKA tightened the lead in the third quarter. The Army team limited their opponents to just 14 points in 10 minutes, but at the end of the quarter made a 13-4 run, led by Anton Astapkovic and Livio Jean-Charles. With a 19-point lead before the decisive quarter, the Moscow team confidently got the seventh win in a row.
X-factor
CSKA team play was on the top level tonight. The Army team made 24 assists with only 5 turnovers. The hosts bench players got even more points (51) than the starting five (45).
Fact
The rivalry history score is now 27-0. Astana head coach Oleg Kiselev hasn’t beaten CSKA yet either: 0-17 as a player, 0-3 as a coach.
The last time the Kazakh team defeated CSKA in the 1991/92 CIS league. At that time the team “Zhulduz” (previously SKA) from Almaty defeated CSKA 115:107.
Leaders
CSKA: Amath M’Baye (17 + 5 rebounds), Livio Jean-Charles (14 + 5 rebounds), Tonye Jekiri (14 + 5 rebounds), Anton Astapkovic (13 + 5 rebounds), Samson Ruzhentsev (12 + 6 rebounds).
Astana: Royce Hamm (22 + 7 rebounds), Adam Kunkel (10 + 5 assists), Carvel Anderson (10 + 5 assists).
What’s next
CSKA: November 3 on the road against Uralmash
Astana: November 2 on the road versus UNICS.
