Michineau leads Metropolitans to road win
Boulogne Metropolitans 92 had a strong start to the 7DAYS EuroCup Top 16 by downing Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar 79-83 at Basket Hall on Tuesday. In its first non-regular season game since 2015, Metropolitans started Group F on the right foot, giving Lokomotiv a bitter return to the Top 16 after a one-year absence. David Michineau led the winners with 19 points, Anthony Brown added 17 - all in the second half, Archie Goodwin scored 15, Bastien Pinault 12 and Vitalis Chikoko 10 for Metropolitans. Mindaugas Kuzminskas paced Lokomotiv with 21 points. Kevin Hervey added 15, Jordan Crawford 13 and Reggie Lynch for the hosts. Michineau and Brown combined for 6 free throws in the final 18 seconds to ensure their team went back home with a good-as-gold road win.
Kuzminskas got Lokomotiv going with a three-pointer. Goodwin and Chikoko each scored twice in the paint in a 0-8 run that put Metropolitans in charge, 3-8. Lynch and Kuzminskas stepped up for Lokomotiv, but Michineau struck from downtown and Pinault followed a jumper with a triple for a 9-16 Metropolitans lead. Kuzminskas dunked and Hervey fired in one from beyond the arc in a 7-0 run that Lynch capped with a floater. Michineau and Miralem Halilovic rescued the guests, but Kuzminskas drew Lokomotiv within 19-20 after 10 minutes. Grigory Motovilov found his first points and Stanislav Ilnitskiy followed a triple with a wild layup-plus-foul for a 27-20 Lokomotiv lead. Goodwin took over with a coast-to-coast three-point play and Lahaou Konate added a floater, but Kuzminskas and Lynch kept the hosts in charge, 31-24. Michineau and Goodwin combined for 8 points in a 0-10 run that gave Metropolitans a 31-34 lead. Will Cummings scored twice in penetration and Kuzminskas added a catch-and-shoot jumper to give Lokomotiv a 37-36 edge at halftime.
Hervey, Brown, Michineau and Mantas Kalnieits each hit a triple soon after the break, but Kuzminskas and Lynch kept the hosts ahead, 48-44. Hervey bettered Brown's jumper with a three-pointer and Crawford added a jumper that caused Metropolitans to call timeout at 53-46. Brown and Pinault tried to change things for the guests, but Crawford and an outstanding Hervey kept Lokomotiv fully in charge, 59-54, after 30 minutes. Halilovic scored in the paint early in the fourth quarter and got help from Goodwin and Pinault to bring Metropolitans within 61-60. Ilnitskiy hit a jumper, but Chikoko matched it with a jump hook and Konate added a jumper to complete the comeback, 63-64. Goodwin pushed his team's lead to 63-67 with 3 minutes left. Crawford followed a three-point play with a layup, but Michineau hit a triple and Brown added a basket-plus-foul for a 68-73 score. Kalnietis buried a three-pointer, Halilovic and Kuzminskas exchanged close baskets and Brown gave the visitors a 73-77 edge with 24.4 seconds to go. Michineau and Brown sealed the outcome from the foul line.
Pivotal performer
Metropolitans was without injured playmaker Brandon Brown but David Michineau stepped up big with a career-best game, setting new personal bests in points (19), rebounds (6) and PIR (23), and matching his previous best in assists (6). Twas a true all-around performance in his team's important win.
Game-changing moment
Stanislav Ilnitskiy hit a six-meter jumper for a 63-60 Lokomotiv lead early in the fourth quarter. Chikoko stepped up with a jump hook, igniting a 0-7 run which gave Metropolitans the lead for good, 63-67. Lokomotiv only managed to trade baskets after that, as the guests remained fully focused until the final buzzer.
Stellar stat
Metropolitans committed only 8 turnovers and shot the ball much better from beyond the arc. The guests buried 7 of 14 shots from downtown (50.0%), and Lokomotiv needed 26 attempts to hit as many three-point shots (7 of 26, 26.9%).
Did you know?
Metropolitans became the second French team to beat Lokomotiv on the road in EuroCup action. The first one was ASVEL Basket, which downed Lokomotiv 65-67 on January 2, 2019 - also in a Top 16 opener.
Next game
Both teams return to EuroCup action next week. Metropolitans host Partizan NIS Belgrade on Tuesday, January 19. A day later, Lokomotiv visits Dolomiti Energia Trento.

Tuesday, January 12, 2021
Eurocupbasketball.com