Krasny Oktyabr sweeps Jerusalem to near Last 32


Krasny Oktyabr Volgograd edged Hapoel Jerusalem 69-67 to get one step closer to a coveted ticket to the Last 32. Oktyabr improved to 4-3 – with two of those wins coming by a total of 3 points against Jerusalem. The loss dropped Jerusalem to 1-6 and significantly dampened its Last 32 chances. The game was tied late, but Round 6 MVP Romeo Travis hit a crucial three and Cuthbert Victor posted free throws to seal the win. Travis led the winners with 23 points, 11 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 assists for an index rating of 34; Victor added 13 points and 5 boards in victory. Bracey Wright scored 24 points and 5 assists for the visitors, while Tony Gaffney and Donta Smith added 10 points apiece.

Travis opened the scoring by completing a three-point-play. Wright tied the game at 9-9 before Bernard King hit a three and put the hosts in front again. Smith nailed back-to-back jumper to give Jerusalem a 14-17 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Newcomer Pops Mensah-Bonsu scored free throws for a 14-19 margin for the visitors, early in the second. Gaffney raised it to 16-23 with a huge slam. The guests kept a slim margin behind a mid-range jumper by Wright that made it 23-30. Lior Eliyahu scored underneath to lead 25-32, but 8 unanswered points for Oktyabr - 4 of them by Artem Komissarov - put the hosts in front by 11. Gaffney dunked again and Smith drilled another jumper before Travis completed a fast break to make it 37-38 at halftime for Jerusalem.

The game remained balanced – it was tied at 44-44 when Gaffney scored a pair of free throws. A 7-0 run capped by a put back by Victor gave a 51-44 advantage to the local team. Marcus Cousin made it 56-48, before a jumper by Wright fixed the score at 56-50 through three quarters. The last quarter opened with Jerusalem on fire, tying the game at 56-56 on another dunk from Gaffney, but an immediate strong answer from the home team with a triple from Anton Ponkrashov and a slam by Victor made it 61-56. Wright from downtown tied again at 61-61, setting up a thrilling finale. Travis’s three-pointer gave a 66-63 margin to the hosts, but Wright hit a jumper from mid-range and, after Smith missed a two-pointer, Victor sealed the win from the foul line.