Teodosic shoots CSKA to victory at Cedevita

Milos Teodosic sank 4 fourth-quarter three-pointers to lead CSKA Moscow past Cedevita 72-76 at Drazen Petrovic Basketball Center on Friday night. The game was close for three quarters and Cedevita was within 1 early in the fourth when Teodosic heated up. When he was done, the visitors had surged ahead 57-70. Cedevita rallied back to within 4 in the final minute, but Kyle Hines rejected Mario Delas at the rim to preserve the victory. CSKA improved to 3-0 in Group B with the win, while Cedevita was left seeking its first victory. Teodosic and Nando De Colo led CSKA with 14 points apiece, Sonny Weems tallied 13 points and 6 assists, Andrey Vorontsevich added 10 points and Hines amassed 12 rebounds. Nemanja Gordic led Cedevita with a career-high 21 points of 4-of-6 three-point shooting. Roko Ukic scored 13 and Miro Bilan 10 in defeat.

First quarter: Goric helps hosts to promising start

Cedevita won the opening tip, but Weems came up with an early steal and coasted to the basket for the game’s first points. Cedevita responded with Gordic dishing inside to Miro Bilan for a basket plus foul. Both teams attacked the basket as Lovro Mazalin split free throws and then assisted to Mario Delas for a free throw and a 5-2 advantage. Vorontsevich tied the game with a triple. Weems was unable to convert on an alley-oop pass from Teodosic. Vorontsevich sank his second three, but Gordic stepped back and nailed a triple of his own to make it 8-8 midway through the quarter. Goric started to heat up with a layup and a three-pointer. De Colo came off the bench for his first action of the season and sank a jumper for CSKA. Ivan Ramljak’s pretty move in the paint and Karlo Zganec free throws gave Cedevita a 17-12 lead. De Colo connected from downtown, but Cedevita pressed Teodosic into a turnover and Ramljak threw down a thunderous slam in the break. A technical foul on Luka Babic allowed CSKA some extra free throws: 1 from Teodosic and 2 from De Colo brought the visitors within 19-18.

Second quarter: Healthy Ukic keeps hosts ahead

Teodosic penetrated and set up Demetris Nichols to put CSKA ahead, but Roko Ukic responded with his first points of the season. Cedevita’s double team turned Weems over and Ukic scored the resulting layup. He then assisted Babic on a long jumper for a 25-20 advantage. Kyle Hines scored on the offensive glass, but Ante Delas banked in a three to keep the hosts ahead. Vorontsevich drove baseline and threw down a highlight reel jam. Weems added a three and a jumper to bring CSKA within 30-29. Weems scored again to put CSKA ahead, but Cedevita responded with Ukic free throws and Gordic converting a tough layup in transition. Vitaly Fridzon drilled a three off a timeout as CSKA edged in front only to see Gordic score on the break and Fran Pilepic end the half with a triple to make it 39-36 at the break.

Third quarter: CSKA’s 0-8 spurt gives it the lead

Teodosic found Sasha Kaun with space for a slam, but the intermission did not cool Gordic, whose jumper made it 41-38. Gordic followed with his third three of the game. CSKA closed the gap through De Colo and Kaun, who finished a series of passes with a two-handed slam. Babic sank a three over Vorontsevich to keep the hosts on top, 47-43, midway through the quarter. Hines’s steal led to a Weems layup. A minute later, he muscled his way inside to tie the score. Vorontsevich nudged CSKA ahead from the line. Nichols capped a 0-8 CSKA run with a reverse layup. Zganec scored and was fouled, but a Fridzon jumper left CSKA on top 49-53.

Fourth quarter: Teodosic’s triples decide the game

Zganec free throws kept the hosts close only to see Teodosic flash some magic and drain a triple. Gordic banked in a three at the other end for his 20th point. Aaron Jackson, who was fouled shooting a three, and Teodosic, who netted a triple, put the visitors up 55-62. Nichols made it a 9-point game before Gordic found Bilan for a two-handed slam. Teodosic took charge with back-to-back threes as the lead ballooned to 57-70. Ukic and De Colo traded baskets as time started to slip away for the hosts. Ukic drove for a tough layup. Ukic passed to Ramljak on the break for a slam and foul to get within 64-73 with three minutes remaining. A Ramljak steal and Ukic triple carried the hosts back to within 6. De Colo and Bilan split free throws. Bilan got back to the line with 50 seconds left and brought his team within 70-74. After Weems missed a deep three, Cedevita got the ball to Mario Delas inside, but Hines rose for a key rejection and De Colo iced the victory with 2 free throws with 14.6 seconds remaining.