Astana defeated Parma on the road, 82-65 (25-10, 17-18, 21-22, 19-15).
Top Scorers
Parma: Maxim Dybovsky (13), Ivan Ukhov (13), Sergei Chernov (10+6 reb)
Astana: Ian Miller (30), Rod Odom (11), Rob Lowery (8+7 ast+6 stl)
Turning Point
The outcome of the game was more or less settled in the 1st quarter. Led by Ian Miller, Astana took advantage of Perm’s numerous mistakes, building a sizable 25-10 advantage. Parma settled down in the 2nd quarter, but couldn’t erase the early deficit. Astana slammed the door shut for good in the 4th quarter, putting together a 10-3 run.
Stat
17 steals – Astana’s defense was superb, with Rob Lowery snagging a team-high six steals.
Quotes
Parma head coach Viacheslav Shushakov:
First of all, I want to apologize to the fans. Yes, I just had a tough conversation with the guys. Throughout the game, I wanted to find people on the team who were ready to battle mentally. Everyone’s ready in different ways, though. That’s why we struggled in the 1st quarter and couldn’t overcome the deficit the rest of the way.
Astana head coach Ilias Papatheodorou:
– We expected a tough game. Parma is fighting for its first win in the VTB United League. That’s why our main challenge was controlling the tempo over the course of the game. We only had three turnovers in the first half. Good defense also really helped us. I want to thank all the players and compliment Parma on a wonderful experience and the noisy fans.
Up Next
Parma: December 4 vs. VEF
Astana: December 4 vs. Tsmoki-Minsk
