Shved's late heroics lift Khimki past CSKA in top 16 opener

In an all-Russian showdown that got the Top 16 started, Khimki Moscow Region topped CSKA Moscow 91-89 at Krylatskoye Arena in the Russian capital on Tuesday. The game went down to the wire before a mid-range jumper by Alexey Shved gave Khimki the victory with 1.1 seconds left. Shved led the winners with 28 points - 22 of them in the second half. Tyrese Rice added 22 points and James Augustine 12 for Khimki. Nando De Colo led CSKA with 20 points, Milos Teodosic added 18 and 7 assists and Cory Higgins scored 16 for the visitors. Rice shined early to give Khimki an 11-7 lead. It didn't last long, as Vitaly Fridzon and De Colo stepped up to give CSKA a 21-29 lead after 10 minutes. Teodosic took over early in the second quarter and free throws by Nikita Kutbanov soon made it a 14-point lead. Rice tried to change things for Khimki, but Higgins hit back-to-back triples - the second one from midcourt at the halftime buzzer - to give CSKA a 41-51 margin at the break. Shved took over with 16 points in the third quarter. He got help from Rice and Dmitry Sokolov to bring Khimki within 69-71 after three quarters. A three-pointer by Zoran Dragic completed the hosts' comeback at 74-72 early in the fourth quarter. Khimki boosted its margin to 80-72, but De Colo and Higgins gave CSKA an 85-87 lead. With the game on the line, Shved hit a fade-away shot, found Augustine for a dunk and then nailed the go-ahead jumper in the next-to-last second. Teodosic missed a fade-away jumper at the buzzer. CSKA wore warm-up shirts which read "A. Vatutin, all for one" to show support for its president, Andrei Vatutin, who was assaulted in Moscow a week ago.

First quarter: Fridzon, De Colo put CSKA ahead

James Augustine got Khimki going with a layup, which De Colo bettered with a three-pointer. Shved answered from downtown and Higgins buried a baseline jumper. A five-meter shot by Sergey Monya restored a 7-5 Khimki lead. After Kyle Hines dunked, Augustine answered with an alley-oop slam and a one-handed jumper by Rice boosted the hosts' lead to 11-7. Hines kept pushing CSKA with back-to-back layups and a fast break basket by Demetris Nichols gave the guests an 11-13 edge. Higgins scored in penetration, but Rice hit another floater. A corner triple by Fridzon boosted his team's lead to 13-18. After Teodosic made free throws, a wild, off-balance jumper by Fridzon gave CSKA a 9-point edge. Shved made free throws, but Fridzon hit another one from beyond the arc and a layup by Joel Freeland saw Khimki call timeout at 15-27. Rice scored in penetration, but Freeland scored again. A layup by Paul Davis brought the hosts within 10. Free throws Tyler Honeycutt fixed the score at 21-29 after 10 minutes.

Second quarter: Higgins helps CSKA protect its advantage

Teodosic hit a six-meter jumper early in the quarter, but Shved did the same at the other end. Nichols struck from downtown to help CSKA restore a double-digit margin. Khimki kept missing shots until Honeycutt stepped up with a dunk. Teodosic nailed his trademark stop-and-pop jumper, but another alley-oop slam by Augustine brought the hosts a bit closer, 27-36. Pavel Korobkov scored around the basket and free throws by Kurbanov kept CSKA out of trouble. Zoran Dragic split foul shots and a fast break layup by Rice brought Khimki within 30-41. A fast break layup by Paul Davis caused CSKA to call timeout at 32-41. Rice scored off a midcourt steal, but Teodosic immediately answered from downtown for a 34-44 CSKA lead. After Fridzon split free throws, Augustine stepped up with a tip-in and a three-pointer by Rice ignited the crowd at 39-45. Higgins nailed one from beyond the arc and another one from beyond midcourt to beat the halftime buzzer and give CSKA a 41-51 edge at the break.

Third quarter: Shved brings Khimki back

Rice tried to change things with a one-handed floater right after the break and Augustine followed that with a layup that made it a 6-point game. Rice hit another one-handed jumper in the lane and Shved answered Teodosic's three-pointer with a six-meter shot that kept Khimki within 49-54. Shved downed a three-pointer in transition and bettered De Colo's reverse layup with another bomb from downtown. Teodosic and Rice joined the three-point shootout before a jumper by Freeland gave CSKA fresh air at 58-61. Freeland kept pacing CSKA with a power layup and Teodosic matched Shved's free throws with a backdoor basket. Shved and Teodosic insisted from downtown and Petteri Koponen answered with a driving layup, but an acrobatic basket by De Colo gave CSKA a 65-70 lead. Teodosic split free throws, but Dmitry Sokolov shined with a put-back layup and an unstoppable Shved kept Khimki within 69-71.

Fourth quarter: Shved comes up clutch

A jumper by Koponen tied the game at 71-71. Higgins split free throws and a three-pointer by Zoran Dragic completed Khimki's comeback, 74-72. Koponen nailed another one from downtown and Dragic buried another from the top of the key that forced CSKA to call a much-needed timeout down 80-72 after a 15-1 run. Kurbanov made free throws and a layup by Higgins brought CSKA within 80-76 with six minutes left. De Colo hit a jumper, which caused Khimki to call timeout. Monya nailed a big triple, but Higgins dunked and De Colo added a layup that drew the visitors within 83-82. Higgins split free throws and De Colo hit both attempts to put CSKA back ahead, 83-85, with 2:30 left. Shved followed free throws with a fadeaway jumper that tied it at 87-87 in the next-to-last minute. After Augustine took over with a dunk, De Colo hit free throws and Shved missed both attempts with 42.6 seconds left. De Colo threw the ball away and a jumper by Shved brought the crowd to its feet at 91-89 with 1.1 seconds left. CSKA had a chance to tie it at the buzzer, but Teodosic missed a fade-away jumper at the buzzer.