Khimki Moscow Region defeated Parma on the road, 87-83 (17-18, 29-17, 23-26, 18-22).
Top Scorers
Parma: Maxim Dybovsky (19), Domagoj Samac (15), Sasa Zagorac (14+8 reb)
Khimki: Alexey Shved (26+8 reb+8 ast), Marko Todorovic (15+5 reb), Robbie Hummel (14+7 reb)
Build-Up
Parma trailed by 11 at halftime, but mounted a comeback in the 3rd quarter. February MVP Alexey Shved, however, could not be stopped. The Russian guard knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers at the end of the period, helping the visitors to a 69-61 lead.
Turning Point
Once again, Parma came roaring back to start the 4th. With 3:17 to play in the game, Ivan Ukhov knotted the score at 74-74. With less than two minutes to go, Konstantin Bulanov gave Perm the lead, 77-76, on a 3-pointer.
Shved answered by getting to the line and converting a pair of free throws. After Sergei Chernov missed an opportunity to put the home team back on top, Viacheslav Zaitcev drained a huge ‘3’ to make it a four-point game with one minute remaining.
Khimki went on to secure the win, 87-83, despite a pair of desperate 3-pointers from Maxim Dybovsky and Chernov.
Star
Alexey Shved. Shved picks up where he left off in February, posting a 26-point, 8-rebound, 8-assist line.
Stat
37 – number of Khimki free-throw attempts (Parma only took 13). Parma also sent Astana to the line 43 times in the previous game.
Quotes
Parma head coach Viacheslav Shushakov:
– We needed to play well in the 1st quarter and we did that. Yes, we were inconsistent, but we took the punch and got back up. But evidently we were ready for the 1st, then decided we could relax in the 2nd quarter. That forced us to play catch-up. We had a good talk in the locker room and got back to how we played in the 1st quarter. We caught up. With the game on the line, there was a lot of pressure on each possession. Unfortunately, we came up a little short finding the right player and making the right decision. Plus, we kept mixing good and bad stretches of play.
Khimki head coach Dusko Ivanovic:
– This was a very important game. We were fighting for a better position in the standings prior to the playoffs. Parma played very well. They were aggressive on defense. Everyone played with heart. I think we started strong, taking an 11-point lead, but relaxed and Parma got back in the game. Yes, it was tough to play from a physical and emotional perspective after the loss in the Eurocup. But the important thing is that we won today.
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Up Next
Parma: March 18 at Zenit
Khimki: March 27 vs. CSKA
