Unicaja opens Top 16 with win in Berlin

Unicaja Malaga had a winning start to the Top 16 by going on the road to beat ALBA Berlin 69-77 in Group H on Wednesday. Unicaja took control in the first quarter and used 4 second-quarter three-pointers to open a double-digit margin and build a 26-41 halftime lead. ALBA hit 6 three-pointers in the third quarter, but never got closer than 5 points the rest of the game. On a balanced attack, Jeff Brooks paced the visitors with 15 points and 6 rebounds, Dani Diez netted 13 points with 6 rebounds and Adam Waczynski scored 12 in the Unicaja victory. Dragan Milosavljevic scored 22 points for ALBA and Tony Gaffney added 12 in defeat.

Akeem Vargas and Milosavljevic hit triples for the hosts in the first quarter, but Waczynski, Brooks, Nemanja Nedovic and Kyle Fogg all contributed in a 2-10 run that gave Unicaja a 12-17 edge after 10 minutes. Unicaja forced 5 turnovers in the first quarter and after Waczynski opened the second with a triple and Alberto Diaz and Jamar Smith each added one from long range of their own, Unicaja was up 23-36. The hosts were held without a field goal for almost four minutes to end the first half and Smith’s second three-pointer helped make it 26-41 at halftime. Waczynski extended it to 17 points at the start of the third, but Malcolm Miller hit a three and so did Gaffney, Niels Giffey and Ismet Akpinar before Milosavljevic nailed back-to-back shots from downtown to get within 49-54. But a three from Brooks to end third quarter and one from Diez to open the fourth had Unicaja back up 49-62. Unicaja kept control, but Milosavljevic made a triple and then forced a steal, before Engin Atsur hit a corner triple to cut the margin to 63-69 with three minutes to go. However, Oliver Lafayette had a put-back-plus foul, giving Unicaja more breathing room, and after Atsur fed Gaffney with a flashy assist to make it 67-72, Nedovic and Brookes sealed the outcome.