Parma Russia defeated Kalev Estonia on the road, 76-74 (19-18, 23-12, 14-27, 20-17).
Top Scorers
Kalev: Cedric Simmons (17 + 9 reb), Janari Joesaar (16), Bojan Subotic (13 + 9 reb), Branko Mirkovic (12 + 5 reb)
Parma: Frank Gaines (14), Andrejs Grazulis (12 + 7 reb), Tre’ McLean (11 + 8 reb), Codi Miller-McIntrye (8 + 8 ast)
Story
The visitors were in control over the first 20 minutes, leading 42-30 at halftime.
Kalev bounced back in the 3rd quarter. Several 3-pointers and Cedric Simmons’ bruising play under the basket erased the deficit, forcing a dramatic 4th quarter in Tallinn.
Turning Point
With 14 seconds remaining, Parma led by a point, 75-74, and had possession. Kalev was forced to foul, sending Ivan Ukhov to the line. He only made one of two attempts, giving the home team a chance to tie or win.
With 10 seconds remaining, Perm’s decision to go with a full-court press paid off. Kalev struggled to get the ball up the court and Branko Mirkovic missed a contested triple at the buzzer, giving Parma its first victory of the season.
Highlights
Kalev Cramo vs @parmabasket one minute highlights 📹 pic.twitter.com/lcRbi6XH2n
— VTB United League (@VTBUL) October 23, 2017
Stat
45-16 – Parma enjoyed a huge advantage in bench scoring.
Quotes
Kalev head coach Alar VARRAK:
– Unfortunately, there was a stretch during the 2nd quarter when we couldn’t score at all. Parma has absolutely improved since last season. We didn’t defend our home court, even though this was a very big game for us.
Parma head coach Nikolajs MAZURS:
– This was a very important game for both teams. Everything came down to the final two minutes. We were able to slow the tempo and make fewer mistakes than our opponent. That’s why we won.
Up Next
Kalev: October 28 away vs. Avtodor
Parma: October 29 away vs. Tsmoki-Minsk
Snapshot
