Lokomotiv-Kuban beat Kalev on the road – 105:94 (29:26, 19:28, 33:20, 24:20).
Top scorers
Kalev: Maurice Kemp (20), Chavaughn Lewis (14+8 assists), Rauno Nurger (13), Janari Joesaar (12+6 rebounds), Marcus Keene (10+5 assists), Devin Thomas (10+8 rebounds), Tanel Kurbas (10)
Lokomotiv-Kuban: Mindaugas Kuzminskas (20+6 rebounds), Drew Gordon (19+7 rebounds), Will Cummings (18), Nigel Williams-Goss (15+6 assists), Reggie Lynch (14)
Story
This season Kalev have two victories over Top-5 teams (CSKA and Zielona Gora). At the start of the game against Loko Tallinn showed that they are up to get another one. Although Drew Gordon and Mindaugas Kuzminskas helped the guests to take the initiative they couldn’t gain solid lead by the second quarter. Bright and high-scoring quarter ended up 29:26 in Loko’s favor.
The second quarter Kalev played even better while guests slowed down. In the beginning of the quarter Marcus Keene evened the score with a long-range shot, then the hosts took over the initiative. Maurice Kemp and Janari Joesaar combined drives and mid-range shots. Kemp’s 10 points in the quarter helped Tallinn win it with 9-point differential. By the half time Kalev were up ahead – 54:48.
During half time break Loko managed to change their game. The third quarter started with Nigel Williams-Goss performance, who scored 7 consecutive points. It let Loko take back the lead. Kalev could take it back once again but Kuban answered with 10:2 run inspired by Kuzminskas and Gordon. The differential turned double digits – 71:61.
Key moment
Kalev took last try to take over the game in late 3rd and early 4th quarter. Rauno Nurger and Chavaughn Lewis managed to cut Loko’s lead to 4 points – 83:79. However, Kuban found another hero, Will Cummings, who started the quarter with 7 consecutive points just like Williams-Goss. Accurate Cummings and Kuzminskas’ shots in the middle of the fourth killed the intrigue, double digit gap remained till the end of the game.
Hero
Mindaugas Kuzminskas. Throughout the game Williams-Goss, Cummings, Drew Gordon were leading on Loko’s roster but it was the Lithuanian who was the most stable players and best Kuban scorer in this game.
Stat
20 turnovers committed by Kalev players, guests used it and scored 26 points off turnovers. Loko were more careful, 9 Kuban turnovers led to 8 Kalev points off them.
Comments
Kalev head coach Roberts Stelmahers:
– We played against a very good team, a very well coached team. I am a little bit happy for our players that we stood up for most of the game, but in the third quarter we collapsed. We thought that we knew to play basketball, if we do extra steps to get an advantage we can win, but when we stop doing these kind of things it’s difficult. Especially strong teams like this, they punish us.
Lokomotiv-Kuban head coach Evgeny Pashutin:
– We expected a though game because Kalev is now in good shape, they beat Zielona Gora in the road and won some games in a row and they have good offensive rhythm. A lot of shooters, Keene – the motor of the team, Jõesaar and Lewis who can score easy points plus inside Thomas and Kemp. We expected that kind of rhythm. Our target was to stop their fast breaks and to match up their speed and don’t let them get easy points. We weren’t able to do this in the first 20 minutes, as they scored over 50 points. In the third quarter we talked to the guys about this and we caught our rhythm and confidence on the defensive side and the fourth quarter was smart offense and good defense. We shared the ball a lot, we had a lot of assists and we controlled Keene. He scored only 10 points, usually he averages 20. Big respect to our bigs, they helped a lot.
Next
Kalev: April 17 vs Khimki
Lokomotiv-Kuban: April 3 vs Astana
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