Kalev defeated Astana at home, 84-67 (19-17, 21-20, 22-18, 22-12).
Top Scorers
Kalev: Mark Tollefsen (17 + 6 rebounds), Gregor Arbet (14), Sten Sokk (12 + 6 assists), Demonte Harper (11 + 8 assists), Mickell Gladness (5 + 13 rebounds + 3 blocks)
Astana: Ousman Krubally (18 + 8 rebounds), Dimitrios Katsivelis (12), Rod Odom (10 + 8 rebounds)
Turning Point
Kalev led most of the game, but didn’t pull away for good until the beginning of the 4th quarter.
Up by seven, 62-55, the home team opened the quarter on an 11-0 run, capped by three straight 3-pointers from Tollefsen and Arbet.
Astana didn’t have a response. The visitors only scored 12 points in the final period, ultimately losing by 17.
Stat I
0 – number of two-point field goals for Kalev in the 4th quarter. The Estonians knocked down five 3-pointers to go with seven free throws to clinch a win.
Stat II
13-25 – Kalev was shooting 29% from downtown entering today’s game, but caught fire against Astana, finishing above 50% from beyond the arc.
Astana, meanwhile, went 2-21 and now ranks last in three-point field-goal percentage.
Star
Mickell Gladness. Kalev’s 211-cm center didn’t score much (5 points), but pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds to go with 3 blocks, including two big rejections in the 4th quarter.
As a team, Kalev outrebounded Astana, 44-31, another big factor in the win.
Quotes
Kalev head coach Alar Varrak:
– We really needed this win. We lost a heart-breaking game in Minsk not that long ago. Once again, we turned the ball over a lot, but otherwise, we were great. We controlled the course of the game. I’m very happy we managed to slow down Miller in the second half.
At the same time, we need to be more varied on offense, but it’s tough to do in practice. Everything depends on the players available to the team.
Astana head coach Ilias Papatheodorou:
– Kalev was terrific on offense. Our opponent hit a lot of tough shots late in the shot clock and we had a hard time responding with our own efficient offense. In the end, we only hit two 3-pointers in the game – it’s tough to expect a win under the circumstances.
Up Next
Kalev: November 6 at Nizhny Novgorod
Astana: November 20 vs. Enisey
Snapshot
