CSKA dominates Besiktas on the road to remain unbeaten

CSKA Moscow left no doubt about its power and set up a big showdown undefeated teams in Group D next week by thrashing Besiktas JK Istanbul 58-85 on the road on Friday. CSKA is tied with FC Barcelona Regal for first place in Group D, each with a 4-0 record. CSKA hosts FCB Regal in the Russian capital next week, in what promises to be a great battle. Besiktas dropped to 2-2 and now faces back-to-back road games against Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius and Partizan mt:s Belgrade. Nenad Krstic and Sonny Weems paced the winners with 18 points apiece. Andrey Vorontsevich added 14 for CSKA. Muratcan Guler had 12 points for Besiktas. Krstic shined late in the first quarter to give CSKA an 18-22 lead after 10 minutes. Three-point shots - Besiktas 0-for-10, CSKA 7-for-9 - and an unstoppable Krstic - 15 points before the break - pushed CSKA to 32-44 at halftime. CSKA rolled after the break, improved its margin to 35-57 midway through the third quarter and then to 43-74 with seven minutes to go, more than enough to seal a comfortable road win long before the final buzzer.

First quarter: Krstic comes off the bench and takes charge

Patrick Christopher got Besiktas going with a quick basket and Curtis Jerrells added a backdoor layup to give the hosts a 4-0 lead. Sasha Kaun split free throws before heading to the bench with 2 fouls. Krstic sank foul shots but Gasper Vidmar set the crowd on fire with a two-handed slam. Weems hit a second-chance layup that Serhat Cetin erased with a six-meter jumper. Milos Teodosic nailed an open triple to tie it at 8-8. Vidmar kept pacing Besiktas with a jump hook but Weems answered from downtown to give CSKA its first lead, 10-11. Viktor Khryapa dunked it off a steal but a driving layup by Jerrells kept the hosts within 12-13. Damir Markota shined with a layup in transition but Krstic followed a dunk with a big basket in the low post for a 14-17 CSKA lead. Vidmar hit a turnaround jumper that Andrey Vorontsevich improved with a three-pointer. An unstoppable Krstic hit free throws and a layup by Randal Falker fixed the score at 18-22 after 10 intense minutes.

Second quarter: Three-point shots make the difference

Cehver Ozer scored around the basket early in the second quarter but Krstic stepped up with a five-meter jumper and Vladimir Micov buried a three-pointer for a 20-27 CSKA margin. Cetin shined with a driving layup and a jumper by Jerrells brought the hosts within 24-27. Kaun split free throws but Vladimir Dasic followed a jumper with an easy basket to tie the game at 28-28. Kaun briefly silenced the crowd with a one-handed dunk and Weems another his second corner triple - exactly from the same spot - to give CSKA some fresh air at 28-33. Besiktas kept struggling against the guests' well-organized defense while a put-back layup by Krstic made it a seven-point game, 28-35. Markota scored in transition but Khryapa fired in one from beyond the arc to keep CSKA way ahead, 30-38. Krstic split free throws, Markota scored around the basket and a three-pointer by Weems made it a double-digit game, 32-42. Milos Teodosic fed Krstic for a dunk that boosted the guests' lead to 32-44 at halftime.

Third quarter: CSKA takes off

Teodosic joined CSKA's three-point shootout right after the break to give his team a 15-point lead, 32-47. Vidmar scored around the basket but a backdoor layup by an inspired Teodosic kept CSKA way ahead, 34-49. Anton Ponkrashov fed Kaun for an easy dunk and found Khryapa for a breakaway slam that broke the game open, 34-53. Besiktas called timeout but kept missing shots from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Weems took over with a big dunk and a fast break layup by Vorontsevich boosted CSKA's lead to 35-57. Jerrells tried to change things with a quick basket in transition but Krstic and Vorontsevich gave CSKA another game-high lead, 37-61. Micov stepped up with a driving layup and matched Tutku Acik's free throws with a baseline jumper. Muratcan Guler split foul shots and a three-point play by Weems gave CSKA a 40-68 margin. Acik brought Besiktas within 41-68 after 30 minutes.

Fourth quarter: Besiktas - such great fans!

Krstic dunked it early in the fourth quarter but Acik kept pacing Besiktas with a driving basket. Even when the outcome was clear, Besiktas fans kept chanting and supporting their team harder and louder, generating an outstanding basketball atmosphere. Vorontsevich made free throws, as CSKA kept powering the boards and started to use longer possessions to run the game clock down. Weems took over with an acrobatic layup that boosted the guests' lead to 43-74 with 7 minutes to go. Aaron Jackson scored twice in penetration and Guler hit Besiktas' first three-pointer tonight. Guler added a layup off a steal, free throws and a stop-and-pop jumer to bring Besiktas a bit closer, 54-78. CSKA called timeout to adjust its defense and sat down its main players. Besiktas, pushed by its unbelievable fans, kept trying but CSKA returned home with a no-doubt-about-it, impressing road win.