Summers, Lavrinovic lead Budivelnik past Hapoel

Budivelnik Kiev stayed in the fight to reach the elimination rounds in Group M by edging Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem 96-93 in the Ukrainian capital on Wednesday. Budivelnik improved to 2-2 and ties with Banvit Bandirma for second place in Group M, right behind Hapoel, first at 3-1. DaJuan Summers led the winners with 21 points. Darjus Lavrinovic added 19, Blake Ahearn had 17, Michalis Anisimov got 14 while Janis Strelnieks contributed 10 for Budivelnik. Art Parakhouski led Hapoel with 19 points. Bracey Wright added 14, Derwin Kitchen and Ronald Dupree each had 13, Lior Eliyahu got 12 while Josh Duncan contributed 11 for the guests. Hapoel overcame a slow start to get a double-digit lead, 21-31, late in the first quarter. Budivelnik found a go-to guy in Anisimov, who got help from Ahearn to bring the hosts within 40-43. Ricky Minard made Budivelnik get the lead, 51-50, at halftime. Parakhouski shined after the break for a 55-60 Hapoel lead but Lavrinovic and DaJuan Summers helped Budivelnik to tie the game, 73-73, at the end of the third quarter. It all came down to the final 2 minutes, as an 0-8 Hapoel run gave the guests a 87-91 lead with 1:33 left. Ahearn and Lavrinovic restored a 92-91 Budivelnik lead but Wright gave Hapoel a 92-93 edge with 15 seconds left. Free throws by Lavrinovic and Summers sealed the outcome down the stretch.

Three-pointers by Strelnieks and Lavrinovic allowed Budivelnik to get an early 6-2 lead. Parakhouski scored twice around the basket and added a dunk to tie it at 8-8. Lavrinovic and Ronald Dupree traded baskets and a triple by Artur Drozdov gave the hosts a 13-10 lead. Kitchen and Lior Eliyahu fueled an 0-8 run that Ronald Dupree capped with free throws for a 13-18 Hapoel lead. Ahearn struck from downtown but Kitchen did even better with a four-point play. Kitchen got help from Wright and Josh Duncan to make it a double-digit game, 21-31. Anisimov brought Budivelnik within 25-31 after 10 minutes. Anisimov scored again and back-to-back baskets by Lavrinovic and Ahearn gave the hosts hope at 31-34. Parakhouski stayed unstoppable and a three-pointer by Wright gave Hapoel a 35-41 edge. Anisimov and Yotam Halperin traded layups and a triple by Ahearn kept the hosts within 40-43. Yaniv Green stepped up for the guests but Summers brought Budivelnik even closer, 45-47. Ahearn made free throws and Minard allowed Budivelnik to regain the lead, 51-50, at halftime.

Dupree hit a jumper after the break but Ahearn allowed Budivelnik to get a 55-52 edge. Hapoel found its regular go-to guy in Parakhouski, who had 6 points in an 0-8 run that gave the guests a 55-60 lead. Darjus Lavrinovic stepped up with consecutive baskets and Summers followed a triple with a slam to make Budivelnik regain the lead, 65-64. Dupree scored again and Duncan struck from downtown but Strelnieks and Drozdov shined with respective baskets and a buzzer-beating triple by Summers tied it again, 73-73, after 30 minutes. Kitchen and Anisimov traded free throws and Dupree put Hapoel back ahead, 75-77. Lavrinovic and Strelnieks struck from downtown and a layup by Drozdov made the guests call timeout, 83-78, with 6 minutes left. Duncan rescued Hapoel with a layup, Anisimov made free throws and a triple by Kitchen brought the guests within 85-83. Dainius Salenga scored but Eliyahu, Duncan and Wright led a 0-8 run that gave Hapoel a 87-91 lead, with 1:33 left. Ahearn made free throws and a triple by Summers gave Budivelnik a 92-91 edge with 27 seconds to go. Wright hit a jumper and Hapoel fouled on Lavrinovic, who made free throws for a 94-93 score with 11 seconds left. Kitchen missed around the basket and Summers sealed the outcome from the foul line, allowing Budivelnik to celebrate a big home win.