BC Khimki blows by Besiktas
BC Khimki Moscow Region got back to its winning ways on its home court with a comfortable 87-56 win over Besiktas JK Istanbul on Friday afternoon. It was Khimki’s seventh victory in eight home games this season in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague, and improved the team to 5-3 and a share of third place in Top 16 Group F; Besiktas remains winless at the bottom of the standings. Khimki was without Zoran Planinic, but still took control of the game early, making a 13-2 run that bridged the first and the second quarters. Led by Paul Davis, the hosts pulled away to an insurmountable advantage after opening the second half with a 14-5 run, and cruised to victory after that. Davis finished with 18 points plus 6 rebounds in less than 15 minutes on the floor, K.C. Rivers netted 14, while Kresimir Loncar and Alexey Zhukanenko each scored 10. For Besiktas, which played its first game since releasing Curtis Jerrells, Cemal Nalga and Serhat Cetin each scored 10 points, while Damir Markota had 6 points plus 9 rebounds in defeat.
First quarter: Davis takes charge from the start
Rivers hit a jump shot on the opening possession of the game, and Besiktas got it going as Serhat Cetin sank a triple. The visitors grabbed an early lead with baskets inside from Gasper Vidmar and Markota, but Rivers hit a three-pointer and Loncar scored in the low post for 9-9. Khimki went in front with Paul Davis scoring twice from close range, including a three-point play, before a jumper from Vitaly Fridzon made it 16-11 after the first quarter.
Second quarter: Hosts extend lead to double-digits
Petteri Koponen hit one from downtown to start the second quarter before free throws from both Sergey Monya and Davis extended the lead to 23-11. Khimki did not allow any open looks to visitors’ shooters, and held them scoreless for more than three minutes before Daniel Ewing made a fastbreak layup. After Davis added a jumper off the glass and a reverse layup to the hosts’ tally, Besiktas managed to cut it to 27-20 with layups from Fikret Akin and Vidmar. After a timeout, Khimki quickly extended it back to 12 points with Egor Vyaltsev’s triple and Loncar’s close-range shot, but Cetin answered with a triple and a jumper of his own for 32-25. However, on the other end Rivers immediately nailed a tough fade away baseline jumper, before Vyaltsev made a pair of foul shots and sank a jumper in the dying seconds of the quarter for a 38-27 halftime lead.
Third quarter: Khimki pulls away to 22 points
Khimki pulled away to 44-27 at the start of the third quarter with Davis scoring inside and Rivers driving for a layup. After Cetin and Dmitriy Khvostov traded threes, Davis made a basket-plus-foul and Rivers converted a layup on a fastbreak for 52-32. Ewing snapped the run from behind the arc, but Loncar hit a long jumper and after Besiktas switched to zone defense, Rivers sank a triple, 57-35. With 5 points from Cemal Nalga, including a basket-plus-foul, Besiktas cut into the deficit, and Markota’s free throws after the quarter expired made it 63-46 going into the final 10 minutes.
Fourth quarter: Zhukanenko rules the paint
Patrick Christopher and Nalga made buckets inside to open the fourth quarter, but the visitors were not coming any closer as Fridzon answered with a layup and a triple. Despite the outcome already being decided, players from both teams deserved praise for continuing to hustle for loose balls. Zhukanenko made the best use of the time on the floor, stringing together 8 points before Koponen hit a triple and Monya made a long jumper for 81-54. After Benjamin-Pavel Dudu made his Euroleague debut and split free throws for his first career point, Markota ended long field goal drought for the visitors, but Khvostov rounded out the scoring with a triple, making it 87-56, the largest margin of the night.

Friday, February 22, 2013
Euroleague.net