BC Khimki continued its perfect Eurocup campaign by downing Asvel Basket 86-80 on Tuesday in Group J. The Russian side leads the group with a 2-0 record, while Asvel remains winless in the Last 16. Thomas Kelati led five Khimki scorers in double figures with 18 points, Vitaly Fridzon added 17, Kresmir Loncar bagged 15, Sergey Monya 14 and Zoran Planinic tallied 12 points and 7 assists. Edwin Jackson nailed 18 for Asvel, Phil Goss 14 and Hilton Armstrong and DIjon Thompson chipped in 11 apiece.

Armstrong scored the game’s first points in the paint before Loncar tied it with a jump hook. Jackson’s short jumper put Asvel in front again. The teams continued to go inside as Armstrong and Loncar scored again before Thompson from the top of the key extended the difference to 4-8. Kelati from long distance and an offensive rebound converted by Fridzon put Khimki ahead 9-8 midway through the first quarter. Leo Westermann and Monya three pointers made it 12-11. The game changed with a 12-0 run for the hosts, capped by another triple of Monya that made it 21-11. Armstrong in the paint and Loncar and Planinic from mid-range fixed the score at 25-15 at the end of the first quarter. Fridzon dished a lovely assist to Monya for two easy points on the break, then Thompson nailed a shot from downtown to close within 27-20, but again Fridzon pushed Khimki up to a 12-point lead. A Jackson pull up jumper was followed by a Kelati three from the corner. Chris Quinn and Westerman scored from downtown before Kelati with his third triple and Thompson going all the way made it 41-30 for Khimki at halftime.

Goss opened the second half with a jumper , but and a high-low play between Loncar and Monya and another three by Kelati extended the margin to 48-34. Planinic posted up for 50-37 before back-to-back threes by Jackson made it 50-43 four minutes into the quarter. Kelati and Jean-Charles Livio exchanged jumpers and Fridzon was still deadly from beyond the arc to regain a double-digit cushion for Khimki, 55-45. Thompson’s triple stopped a two-minute scoreless stretch and Paul Lacombe from the foul line made it 57-49 before free throws by Fridzon and Planinic pushed up the advantage for Khimki to 12. Three pointers by Westermann and Fridzon fixed a 64-52 comfortable margin for the home team after three quarters. A 2-8 run opening the last 10 minutes put Asvel closer on Kim Tillie’s jumper, 66-60, but Planinic went end to end and a Loncar layup made it again a 10-point game. Goss scored from long distance to keep Asvel on track, and after a jumper by Kelati, another bomb from Goss allowed the visitors to get closer, 74-69. Monya dunked and Armstrong scored underneath for 78-73 before free throws by Fridzon and Loncar’s short jumper and an additional free throw gave again an 83-73 advantage to Khimki with less than two minutes in the game. Goss closed within 6 with 50 seconds left, but Thompson scored just one of his free throws for 85-80 and Goss turned over the ball after pulling down the offensive rebound. Quinn scored from the foul line for the final 86-80.