CSKA wins in Berlin for seventh straight victory
CSKA Moscow kept its great momentum going and remained undefeated in Group E by downing Alba Berlin 57-75 in the German capital on Friday. CSKA joins Real Madrid atop Group E, each with a 2-0 record. Alba dropped to 0-2. CSKA grabbed its seventh consecutive win in the competition and stayed undefeated on the road in the 2012-13 Turkish Airlines Euroleague. Milos Teodosic led the winners with 17 points. Nenad Krstic added 15 on 9-of-10 free throw shooting while Viktor Khryapa had 10 and 10 rebounds for CSKA. DaShaun Wood led Alba with 14 points and Derrick Byars added 11. Krstic led a 2-12 run that allowed CSKA to get a 13-24 margin at the end of the first quarter. CSKA extended its margin to 28-40 at halftime but Alba managed to get within 47-53 on a three-pointer by Heiko Schaffartzik late in the third quarter. It didn't last long, as CSKA improved its defense, boosted its margin to 49-68 behind an outstanding Khryapa and never looked back.
First quarter: CSKA's 2-12 run makes the difference
Khryapa got CSKA going with a fade-away jumper that Zach Morley matched with a jump hook in the lane. Je'kel Foster scored off a steal to give Alba its first lead, 4-2. Dionte Christmas struck from downtown, but Wood nailed his own shot from beyond the arc to restore a 7-5 Alba edge. Alba tried to add more fire power by bringing Schaffartzik and Nihad Djedovic off the bench. Teodosic hit a shot and bettered Byars's jumper with a corner triple for a 9-10 CSKA lead. Sven Schultze swished a six-meter jumper, but Vladimir Micov scored around the basket and free throws by Teodosic gave CSKA an 11-14 edge. Alba kept struggling to score and Krstic soon made it a 5-point game. Byars downed a jumper, but Krstic followed foul shots with a layup. Aaron Jackson shined with a fast break layup and an unstoppable Krstic made it a double-digit game, 13-24, after 10 minutes.
Second quarter: Defense keeps CSKA way ahead
CSKA tried a taller lineup with Sasha Kaun and Krstic together on court. Deon Thompson nailed a five-meter jumper, which Kaun erased with a layup. Krstic split free throws and a corner jumper by Djedovic brought the hosts a bit closer, 17-27. Christmas scored in penetration, as the game turned into a physical battle, with outstanding blocks by Khryapa and Morley on almost consecutive plays. Albert Miralles took over with a power layup – and the free throw that came with it. Teodosic scored in the low post and a fast break layup by Vladimir Micov made Alba call timeout at 20-33. Yassin Ibdihi scored around the basket, but Teodosic bettered that with a three-pointer. Byars shined with a driving basket and free throws by Wood gave Alba some hope at 26-36. Kaun made free throws and a fast break dunk by Khryapa boosted the guests' lead to 14. A layup by Foster fixed the halftime score at 28-40.
Third quarter: Alba hangs tough
Both teams struggled to score after the break until Kaun dunked. Wood immediately answered with an easy basket in transition and a fast break layup by Byars brought Alba within 32-42. CSKA kept missing open shots and Wood sank a one-handed floater in the lane to get Alba within single digits. Wood kept pushing Alba with a driving layup, but Kaun silenced the crowd with a power slam in traffic. Micov buried a corner three-pointer to restore a 36-47 CSKA lead. Djedovic stepped up with a layup and Foster buried a jumper, but Krstic kept CSKA way ahead, 40-49. Djedovic caught fire with a wild driving layup, but Khryapa followed a baseline jumper with a two-handed slam before Alba called timeout at 42-53. Thompson scored down low and a three-pointer by Schaffartzik made it 47-53. Free throws by Krstic and Teodosic gave CSKA a 47-57 margin after 30 minutes.
Fourth quarter: CSKA seals the win early
Miralles and Aaron Jackson traded layups early in the fourth quarter and a driving basket by Anton Ponkrashov made it a 12-point with eight minutes to go. CSKA kept dominating the game with outstanding defense, forcing Alba to use long possessions without finding open shots. Khryapa collected a steal and Jackson struck from downtown at the other end to break the game open, 49-64. Khryapa sank a jumper off a timeout and a fast break layup by Jackson sealed the outcome, 49-68, with six minutes left. Wood swished a three-pointer and Byars copied him soon after that, but Teodosic and Krstic kept CSKA way ahead. By the time Ponkrashov shined with a fast break basket, everything was said and done. CSKA confirmed its good momentum with another road win.

Friday, January 4, 2013
Euroleague.net