Khimki downs the champs in Madrid

Eurocup champion Khimki Moscow Region defeated the reigning Turkish Airlines Euroleague champion Real Madrid for the second time this season 82-85 on Wednesday at Barclaycard Center in the Spanish Capital. Tyrese Rice paced Khimki with 18 points and a career-high 8 assists as Khimki improved to 4-2 in Group A. Alexey Shved added 13 points, including 2 clutch free throws with 20 seconds to play, while James Augustine scored 12 points. Sergey Monya nailed two big three-pointers in the fourth quarter in scoring 11 points and Paul Davis chipped in with 9 points and 10 rebounds in the victory. Madrid’s nightmare start to the season continued as it lost for the first time in 15 Euroleague games in Madrid to drop to 2-4. Madrid lost despite 17 points from Sergio Rodriguez while Gustavo Ayon had 14 points and 15 rebounds. Sergio Llull made just 2-of-11 three-pointers in scoring 13 points, Jaycee Carroll added 10 points and Felipe Reyes picked up 10 points and 9 rebounds in the defeat.

First quarter: Nine lead changes in first 10 minutes

Neither coach made a change to their starting lineup from last week. Madrid’s Pablo Laso went with Llull, Carroll, Rudy Fernandez, Reyes and Ayon; while Rimas Kurtinaitis started with Rice, Petteri Koponen, Tyler Honeycutt, Monya and Davis. Llull started the scoring by stealing the ball on defense and then knifing through the defense for a layup. Reyes’ tip-in off a Lllull miss made it 4-0. Khimki’s first points came on Koponen free throws and his three-pointer from the left corner handed the guests’ their first lead, 4-5. After Davis scored, Ayon put the ball on the floor and then fed Reyes for an easy layup, but Monya’s three made it 6-10. After a Fernandez jumper, Llull knocked down a triple to put Madrid back ahead 11-10. Davis and Carroll both hit baskets as the lead went back and forth with an Ayon dunk making it 16-13. The Khimki bench sparked a 2-8 run as Augustine hit two jump hooks around a Honeycutt breakaway dunk and Egor Vyaltsev put in a layup for an 18-21 Khimki cushion. Foul shots by Trey Thompkins and Ayon put Madrid back in front, but the guests led after 10 minutes 22-24 on Vyaltsev’s three-pointer at the buzzer.

Second quarter: Khimki open a 10-point gap

Augustine opened the quarter with a jump hook for a 4-point lead. Thompkins and Jeffery Taylor combined for 3 free throws to trim it to 25-26. Rice answered with 5 points, including a three-pointer and then Shved streaked in for a layup and hit 2 free throws as Khimki grabbed the biggest lead of the game at 27-37. Rodriguez stopped the run with a three that was followed by a Reyes jumper from the free throw line. Rodriguez converted a layup before free throws from Zoran Dragic got Khimki back on the scoring board. But the lead was just 37-39 after a Fernandez triple. Shved’s free throws re-established a 4-point cushion, but Reyes hit a layup and combined with Llull for 2 more free throws to knot the game at 41-41. Davis converted a three-point play to give Khimki a 42-44 advantage at intermission.

Third quarter: Khimki give up lead early but regain control

Carroll nailed a three-ball pointer start the second half and give Madrid its first lead since the first quarter at 45-44. But Shved answered right back with a three of his own to put Khimki back ahead. Madrid was back up 50-47 on Carroll’s second three-pointer. After a Davis basket, Rice hit a floater and then came up with some magic on the break with a reverse layup for a 50-53 lead. Carroll answered with a runner in the lane, but Madrid would not reclaim the lead again. Rice and Marko Todorovic both converted foul shots before Rice drained a triple as the margin went back to 8 points. Ayon stopped the run and Fernandez foul shots pulled the reigning champs to within 58-62. Fernandez made 2 more free throws before Thompkins hit a jumper over Rice just before the end of the third quarter to make it 63-66.

Fourth quarter: Monya’s big threes keep Madrid at arm’s length

Augustine’s free throws opened the fourth before Ayon hit Madrid’s first basket of the quarter to make it 65-68. A Taylor foul shot trimmed it to 68-70 before a Monya triple. Rodriguez answered with a three of his own and the deficit was 74-75 after a Llull triple. Monya unleashed a very long three-pointer, but hit it to push the gap to 4 and Rice converted a free throw following a technical foul on Madrid coach Pablo Laso for a 74-79 advantage. Rodriguez would not let Madrid go down without a fight; he nailed 2 more three-pointers to make it 80-82 with a minute to play. Llull could only split free throws with 21 seconds remaining, after which Shved made both of his from the line for an 81-84 lead. Llull missed three-pointers with 17 and 12 seconds left before Khimki fouled Rodriguez with 5.3 seconds to play. Rodriguez made the first and intentionally missed the second, but Khimki rebounded and Rice was fouled with 3.8 seconds on the clock. Rice also hit just the first for a 3-point lead and Madrid could not even get off a potentially game-tying shot.