Kalev Estonia defeated Avtodor Russia at home, 95-89 (21-28, 30-16, 21-22, 23-23).
Top Scorers
Kalev: Isaiah Briscoe (21 + 5 ast), Branko Mirkovic (12), Gregor Arbet (12), Thomas van der Mars (11 + 8 reb)
Avtodor: Coty Clarke (23 + 6 reb), Ian Hummer (17 + 5 reb), Micah Downs (15 + 5 ast)
Story
Kalev picked up a valuable win at home, taking down 5th-place Avtodor behind 23 points from Isaiah Briscoe and a huge Branko Mirkovic three in the final minutes.
The Estonians snapped a four-game losing streak on Thursday and looked to make it two in a row vs. the visiting Russians.
Avtodor led early as Shaq McKissic and Ian Hummer combined for an 8-0 run that put the visitors on top, 18-10. Avtodor led 28-21 at the end of the 1st quarter and remained in front until the three-minute mark of the 2nd quarter.
Trailing 42-41, Kalev ended the half on a 10-2 run, including two dunks from Isaiah Briscoe and Thomas van der Mars.
The 3rd quarter was back and forth, though the visitors never led, trailing 72-66 entering the final frame.
Midway through the period, Kalev appeared to be in complete control as Mirkovic and Bojan Subotic sank 3-pointers that stretched the lead to 11, 85-74. But Avtodor answered right back with triples from Justin Robinson and Micah Downs, forcing an exciting finish in the Estonian capital.
Downs, who finished with 15 points and five assists, cut the deficit to one by sinking a pair of free throws with only a minute to go.
That’s when Mirkovic stepped up, connecting from beyond the arc to make it a two-possession game. Coty Clarke, the leading scorer in the game with 23 points, made a layup for Avtodor on the next possession, but Isaiah Briscoe was able to seal the win at the line, converting four straight free throws to give Kalev the win.
The Estonians are now 6-13, one game out of the postseason picture. Avtodor drops to 8-8 and 6th place, half a game back of Khimki.
Assist of the Game
Вот это пас от Бранко Мирковича на Седрика Симмонса!
What a beatiful Branko Mirkovic’s Assist to Cedric Simmons! pic.twitter.com/UUV1IKwypf
— VTB United League (@VTBUL) March 19, 2018
Stat
42-27 – Kalev’s bench outscored Avtodor’s by 15, a key factor in the win.
Quotes
Kalev head coach Donaldas Kairys:
– I’m happy! This was a genuinely difficult game vs. a strong opponent that knows how to win. We had a real battle on the court. I think the fans enjoyed the game. Why did we win? Defense. Even though we allowed Avtodor to score more than 80 points, our defense did a good job. The visitors took a lot of free throws. We need to work on defending without fouling.
Avtodor head coach Evgeny Pashutin:
– Kalev grabbed more rebounds and scored 22 second-chance points. We got off to a good start, but fell apart in the 2nd quarter. Our opponent got on a roll and Arbet and Dorbek started hitting from beyond the arc. When you let your opponent grab 18 offensive rebounds, it’s difficult to count on a win.
Up Next
Kalev: April 1 away vs. Khimki
Avtodor: April 1 away vs. Zenit
Images of the Game
