CSKA Moscow defeated Lokomotiv-Kuban Krasnodar on the road, 93-76 (32-18, 18-21, 22-22, 21-15).
Top Scorers
Lokomotiv-Kuban: Dmitry Kulagin (18), JaJuan Johnson (15 + 6 reb), Vitaly Fridzon (12)
CSKA: Nando De Colo (30 + 8 reb + 5 ast), Will Clyburn (13 + 6 reb), Sergio Rodriguez (12 + 7 ast)
Story
CSKA dropped Lokomotiv-Kuban with a comprehensive 93-76 win in Krasnodar. Nando De Colo led the way with a masterful 30-point performance (6-6 from beyond the arc) to go with eight rebounds and five assists.
The visitors seized control in the 1st quarter, outscoring Lokomotiv by 14 thanks to 13-16 shooting from the field.
Though Krasnodar never led after the eight-minute mark in the opening period, the home team did make CSKA sweat early in the 3rd quarter.
Trailing by 13 after an Othello Hunter alley-oop, Lokomotiv went on a 9-0 run courtesy of Russian guards Vitaly Fridzon and Dmitry Kulagin to make it 52-48.
CSKA answered with a Will Clyburn 3, one of the team’s 13 triples on the night. Hunter added a layup and the home team never got closer than six points the rest of the way.
Dmitry Kulagin tried to rescue the Railwaymen in the 4th quarter, scoring nine of his team-high 18 points in the period. Loko thrice cut the deficit to eight, but Moscow responded each time with timely baskets.
After Kulagin missed a wide-open 3 that would have make it a seven-point game, Rodriguez drained his second triple of the quarter, giving CSKA an insurmountable 87-74 advantage with less than two minutes remaining.
Lokomotiv falls to 3-3 with the defeat, a disappointing start for the Railwaymen after spending big in the summer.
CSKA, on the other hand, keeps rolling at 7-0, the first team in the League to seven wins.
Stat
13-23 – CSKA was unstoppable beyond the arc, repeatedly stopping Loko’s momentum with clutch 3-pointers.
Dunk
Lokomotiv trailed most of the game, but this dunk from JaJuan Johnson started the game with a bang.
Star
Nando De Colo – the French guard ripped Krasnodar for 30 points and a 39 efficiency rating, despite not scoring in the 4th quarter. He played a big part in CSKA’s strong start and made sure the visitors maintained control throughout the contest.
Нандо Де Коло закрывает третью четверть против @lokobasket баззером! Уже 30 очков у защитника @cskabasket!@NandoDeColo closed 3rd Q vs Loko with the buzzer! CSKA’s guard already scored 30 PTS! pic.twitter.com/OhB32zhZzG
— VTB United League (@VTBUL) November 11, 2018
Quotes
Lokomotiv-Kuban head coach Vlada Jovanovic: “We played well today, but there are no guarantees in a game vs. CSKA. They went ahead by 14 points in the 1st quarter and that margin remained until the end of the contest. We tried to stay competitive throughout the game, but could not play well enough against De Colo on defense.”
CSKA head coach Dimitris Itoudis: “Congratulations to my team on the win. We were better on the court today. We had a challenging schedule, but we took care of business. It’s always difficult to play against Loko. They are a strong opponent and we wish them the best in the EuroCup. I’d also like to note the atmosphere in the arena. It was terrific today.”
Photos
