Khimki clinches top spot in Group D

Khimki Moscow Region sealed first place in Group D by downing Zenit St. Petersburg 90-68 in the Russian derby. The home team finished the regular season with an 8-2 record and will be part of Last 32 Group J, while Zenit came in fourth with a 5-5 record and will play in Group G. Khimki used a 12-2 run early in the third quarter to take a comfortable 59-50 margin and then extended the margin to double figures at its end, 68-56. A 12-3 charge at the midway point of the last quarter sealed the victory. Tyrese Rice led the way with 21 points on 3-of-5 shooting from downtown plus 6 assists, Egor Vyaltsev added 14 points and Sergey Monia 12. Joffrey Lauvergne amassed a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Tyler Honeycutt added 11 points with 7 boards. Khimki made 12 of its 24 three-pointers. Dejan Borovnjak scored 15 for Zenit, Walter Hodge 14 with 7 assists and Andrey Koscheev posted 14 points with 8 boards.

Hodge from downtown, Dalenta Stephens in the paint and Borovnjak from the foul line pushed Zenit in front on 4-12. Rice and Vyaltsev fueled the hosts to get within 14-17. Koscheev and Lauvergne exchanged dunks, and free throws scored from both sides fixed the visitors’ lead at 20-23 at the first break. Honeycutt tied the score from long distance at 23-23. Vyaltsev, from the foul line, gave a 28-26 advantage to Khimki early in the second quarter. Petteri Koponen hit a three to go ahead 31-28. The lead changed hands three times and the score was tied twice before Rice scored a pair from the free throw line to make it 42-38 for the hosts. Artem Vikhrov tied it again at 42-42 and Stephens’s slam made it 42-46. A three-pointer by Vyaltsev fixed the final at 45-46 for Zenit at halftime.

Borovnjak gave Zenit its last advantage at 47-48 before Khimki went on a 12-2 run highlighted by 5 points from Rice to take a 59-50 cushion. Stephens and Borovnjak kept the visitors in the game, but Rice completed a fast break for the first double-digit margin, 64-54, and Lauvergne made it 68-56 at the end of the third quarter. Lauvergne, again from the foul line, put 72-56 on the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter. Kyle Landry tried to keep the guests close, but Sergey Monia with 5 points in a row capped a 12-3 run to get an 85-63 advantage with three minutes left and seal the win. Rice extended the margin to 90-63 before the final 5 points by Zenit cut the final difference to 22 points.