Trento survives overtime and 19 triples from Bonn

Dolomiti Energia Trento faced a barrage of three-pointers from Telekom Baskets Bonn, but managed to hang on for 98-96 overtime win on Wednesday night. Victory improved already-qualified hosts to 7-2 in a share of Group A lead, while Bonn dropped to 2-7 and is eliminated despite having made 19 three-pointers on 34 attempts, which is second most triples made in Eurocup history, one shy of a record 20 set by Unics in 2009. Jimmy McKinney was 9-for-12 from long range, tying the Eurocup record for three-pointers made, held by Marko Popovic and Ruben Douglas. McKinney’s teammate Rotnei Clarke was 7 of 10 from long range, having buried his first 7 three-point shots of the night. But against those 16 triples combined, Trento shot 11-for-25 from long range and had six scorers in double figures. Dominique Sutton collected 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Jamarr Sanders had 14 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Trent Lockett and Davide Pascolo scored 11 apiece, while Julian Wright and Filippo Baldi Rossi both had 10 points in victory. McKinney scored 29, Clarker netted 23 with 8 assists for Bonn.

Trento got off to a better start, taking over control in the first quarter behind Sutton and Lockett who scored 10 point in 12-7 lead. That was just the star of an 18-2 run, however, as Baldi Rossi and Sanders each hit a triple to open 24-9 lead. But before the end of the quarter Clarke hit from downtown for Bonn, and Dirk Madrich and Michal Chylinski buried triples to start the second quarter, cutting it to 24-20. Baldi Rossi snapped a 0-11 run with another three, and Johnas Lofberg restored a double-digit lead, 35-24 midway through the second. But the visitors were not going away, as McKinney hit a pair of threes, getting them within 37-36. After Diego Flaccadori and Eugene Lawrence traded triples, another long range dagger, this time from Clarke, helped Bonn take a brief lead, before Pascolo made it 42-42 at halftime.

Teams exchanged blows and traded leads in the third. McKinney had a three-pointer, and Sutton answered with a three-point play, 49-47. Wright scored 6 points in a short span early in the third, but Clarke’s back-to-back threes made it 51-55. Clarke’s fifth triple of the nigh made it 53-60, but Sanders answered with a three of his own and Sutton had a basket-plus-foul, 59-61. Clarke did not stop there, hitting his sixth and seventh from long range, helping Bonn take 65-71 lead into the fourth quarter. Lockett scored 7 consecutive points for the hosts to reclaim the lead, 72-71, but McKinney answered with a pair of three-pointers to help make it 72-79. But there were more triples to come. Andres Forray and Sanders hit back-to-back from behind 6.75 arc for Trento, sparking a 12-1 run that put the hosts up 84-80 with 70 seconds left in the fourth. McKinney’s seventh triple gave Bonn hope, cutting it to 86-84 with 8 seconds left in regulation, and after Sanders only split free throws, McKinney’s eight three-pointer tied it at 87-87, sending the game into overtime.

A put-back from Pascolo and a fastbreak from Wright gave the hosts 92-87 in the extra session. McKinney hit his record-tying ninth three-pointer, but Pascolo knocked down his first triple for the hosts. However, McKinney and Clarke made their first two-point shots of the night, and Aaron White had a put-back to give Bonn 95-96. Sutton split free throws in the final minute to tie it, and Sanders knocked down both foul shots with 13 second left in extra session to make it 98-96. Bonn had two shots at the end, but Clarke and Andrej Mangold missed, as Trento prevailed.