Astana Kazakhstan defeated Kalev Estonia at home, 102-92 (24-16, 26-19, 28-25, 24-32).
Top Scorers
Astana: Malcolm Grant (32), Leonidas Kaselakis (17 + 8 reb + 8 ast), Anthony Clemmons (16 + 5 reb + 5 ast)
Kalev: Isaiah Briscoe (24), Branko Mirkovic (23 + 6 ast), Janari Joesaar (15 + 6 reb)
Story
Malcolm Grant poured in 32 points and Leonidas Kaselakis nearly recorded a triple-double to lead Astana past Kalev in a must-win game at home.
The Kazakh club had lost five straight on the road and looked relieved to return to the Velotrack, dominating the Estonians for three quarters, before hanging on for their 7th win.
Astana broke the game open early on, using a 12-0 run late in the 1st quarter to pull away by 11 points. Anthony Clemmons drained a pair of triples and the home team ended up the period on top, 24-16.
The lead continued to grow in the 2nd quarter. The home team continued to thrive beyond the arc, knocking down four more. Astana would finish 18-39 from beyond the arc, accounting for more than 50% of its offense.
Leading 50-35 at the break, Astana enjoyed a virtuoso performance from Malcolm Grant. The American guard knocked down seven of his eight triples in the final two quarters, finishing with 32 points on 8-11 shooting from downtown.
Trailing 78-60 entering the 4th quarter, Kalev cut the deficit to six with six minutes remaining, led by Isaiah Briscoe and Branko Mirkovic.
Unfortunately for the Estonians, Grant had an answer every time. The Astana sharpshooter scored 13 down the stretch, never allowing Kalev any closer than six points.
The Kazakhs went on to win by 10, snapping the five-game skid and improving to 7-15, only one game out of the playoff zone.
Kalev wraps up the season with a 6-18 record.
Stat
35% – Astana somehow managed to win, despite shooting 35% from the free-throw line (6-17).
Quotes
Astana head coach Mikhail Karpenko:
– We understood that this game was sink or swim for us. A loss would likely have eliminated us from the playoffs, so we were very diligent preparing for the game. We were finally able to stay at home this week and not travel anywhere. The guys got some rest–we also didn’t have any domestic games–and we had a full week to prepare. We knew that Kalev would use a zone defense, which is why we worked on attacking a zone in practice. The energy and the work the players put in on the court had an impact. I want to thank each player. Everyone played today, even if only for a few minutes, and had a role in the win. They did a great job and hung in there. We’ll keep working hard because we also need to win our upcoming games.
Kalev head coach Donaldas Kairys:
– We played with eight men today. It’s been like that for three weeks, probably. Of course, it’s hard. Astana was physically stronger. At the same time, we reduced the lead in the 4th quarter and I’m very proud of my players. Congratulations to Astana on the win.
Up Next
Astana: April 30 away vs. VEF
Kalev: Season complete (6-18 record)
Images of the Game
