Martin leads Buducnost to another win

Buducnost VOLI Podgorica grabbed its third consecutive win in the 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season by downing Galatasaray Doga Sigorta Istanbul 94-78 in the Montenegrin capital in Group D on Wednesday. Buducnost improved to 3-6 and keeps chances to advance to the Top 16 while Galatasaray dropped to 5-4 and had already qualified before this game. With this result, Unicaja Malaga has clinched first place in Group D. Hassan Martin led the winners with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Scott Bamforth added 16 points, Danilo Nikolic 12, Suad Sehovic 11 and Nikola Ivanovic 10 for Buducnost. Zach Auguste led Galatasaray with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Aaron Harrison added 15 points, Goksenin Koksal 12 and Ayberk Olmaz 10. Martin had 10 first-quarter points, getting help from Danilo Nikolic and Bamforth to give Buducnost a 27-22 lead after 10 minutes. Martin kept pacing Buducnost, dominating the paint, and Ivanovic added 7 points late in the first half for a 55-40 lead at the break. Harrison and Auguste stepped up for Galatasaray late in the third quarter, bringing the guests a bit closer, 74-63, after 30 minutes. Buducnost quickly restored an 80-63 margin and cruised to a well-deserved win.

Danilo Nikolic got Buducnost going with a three-pointer and Martin followed a jump hook with a layup but Auguste and Koksal answered to tie it at 7-7. Justin Cobbs took over with an acrobatic basket but Auguste finished a four-chance Galatasaray play with a layup, igniting a 0-6 run highlighted by Alex Poythress's dunk. Danilo Nikolic rescued the hosts with a four-point play, getting help from Martin and Bamforth to restore a 17-14 Buducnost lead. Auguste scored down low and Harrison added a couple of layups but an unstoppable Martin kept the hosts in charge, 24-20. Bamforth bettered Olmaz's tip-in with a bomb from downtown, good for a 27-22 Buducnost lead after 10 minutes. Sehovic followed a reverse layup with a corner triple to make it a double-digit lead, 34-22, early in the second quarter. Can Korkmaz and Almaz buried a three-pointer apiece to give Galatasaray hope at 34-28. Bamforth joined the three-point shootout and Ivanovic added a step-back jumper to give Buducnost fresh air at 39-30. Martin returned to score 6 quick points, then a red-hot Ivanovic followed a jumper with a three-pointer to boost the hosts' lead to 50-36. Auguste scored again but Cobbs hit a long jumper and fed Sean Kilpatrick for a triple that gave Buducnost a 55-40 margin at halftime. Koksal and Webster fueled an 0-8 run that Auguste capped with a put-back basket to get Galatasaray within 55-48 soon after the break. Danilo Nikolic buried a corner three-pointer, then Kilpatrick followed a floater with a layup for a 62-50 Buducnost lead. Martin hit a running hook and followed Cobbs's driving layup with an inside basket that broke the game open at 68-52. Harrison and Auguste tried to change things for Galatasaray and a three-pointer by Korkmaz made it a single-digit game, 72-63. Kilpatrick restored a 74-63 Buducnost margin after 30 minutes. Three-pointers by Ivanovic – from way downtown – and Bamforth gave the hosts an 80-63 lead early in the fourth quarter. Bamforth insisted from beyond the arc, getting help from Ilic to give the hosts a 87-68 margin, enough to keep full control of the game until the final buzzer.

Pivotal performer

Martin did everything right and made sure Buducnost lived to fight in Round 10. He finished the game with career-high 24 points on 11-for-15 two-point and 2-for-2 free throw shooting, adding 10 rebounds and 3 steals for a PIR of 29.

Game-changing moment

Galatasaray managed to get within single digits, 72-63, late in the third quarter. Kilpatrick made free throws to give the hosts a 74-63 margin after 30 minutes, then Ivanovic and Bamforth buried a triple apiece for an 80-63 score, enough for Buducnost to control the game until the final buzzer.

Stellar stat

Buducnost downed 13-of-25 shots from outside the arc (52%) in this game. Meanwhile, Galatasaray only hit 5-of-20 attempts from downtown (25%). Those 13 three-point shots are a season best for Buducnost, and allowed the Montenegrin powerhouse to get its first home win in this EuroCup season.

Did you notice?

Olmaz had been scoreless in the 2019-20 EuroCup until now after combining for under 11 minutes against Unicaja and EWE Baskets Oldenburg. He finished the game with 10 points, 2 rebounds and a block for a PIR of 12.

Next game:

Both teams play their last 7DAYS EuroCup Regular Season game on Wednesday, December 18. Galatasaray hosts Asseco Arka Gdynia ay 18:00 CET. Later, at 20:45 CET, Buducnost visits EWE Baskets Oldenburg.