Tavares dominates to keep Gran Canaria unbeaten

Herbalife Gran Canaria handed Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari a bitter home loss in the teams’ first game in Group H of the Last 32 as the Spanish side won 76-91 in Italy. Walter Tavares had a monster game with 26 points on 11-of-14 shots and 4-of-4 free throws as well as 12 rebounds, one assist and one block for a ranking of 40. Brad Newley nailed four three-pointers en route to 23 points while Eulis Baez and Levon Kendall both scored 10 points. The former Turkish Airlines Euroleague team Sassari dropped its first game in the Eurocup at home despite 19 points from David Logan. Jerome Dyson and Brian Sacchetti both added 16 points and Mateo Formenti chipped in 12 points in the loss.

Taveras opened the game’s scoring with two free throws and Shane Lawal got the hosts on the board and it was 4-2 on Logan’s first score. Tavares added two baskets and Oscar Alvarado hit a three-pointer for a 6-13 lead. And the advantage was 7-19 after dunks by Kyle Kuric and Tavares. Edgar Sosa snapped the three-minute scoreless streak, but Tavares’ dunk gave him 10 points in the quarter and Gran Canaria a 9-21 lead. It grew to 9-23 and was down to 11-23 after 10 minutes. Dyson and Logan combined for five free throws and Dyson scored another basket to get Sassari to within 18-23. Txemi Urtasun hit a three-ball to finally put the guests on the board in the second quarter and Kendell and Baez scored to push the lead to 20-32. Dyson and Sacchetti both knocked down three-balls for a 30-37 scoreline – and a Gran Canaria timeout. Logan’s free throws would get the cushion down to 32-37. But Tavares completed a three-point play and Newley hit a triple to push Gran Canaria back ahead 32-43. Sassari was not ready to give up just yet as Sacchetti hit another triple and Logan downed two free throws to get to within 37-43 at intermission.

Tavares opened the second half but Sassari was able to pull within 41-47. Newley responded with a score and was followed by a Tavares three-point play and Albert Oliver scored on two free throws for a 41-54 lead. Massimo Chessa temporarily got the deficit down to 45-55 but the home team could not get the game into single digits, trailing 53-65 after 30 minutes. Newley and Formenti swapped three-balls to start the fourth quarter but Sassari came up empty-handed two times and Gran Canaria scored on three straight possessions to push the lead to 56-74 with seven minutes left. And it was 58-78 after a Tavares score with 5:34 minutes to play. Sassari was pushed by the home fans and Logan and Sacchetti nailed three-balls and Formenti hit a layup to get to within 69-81. And a Logan three made it 74-84 with 2:18 minutes left. But Tavares threw down a dunk and then Newley stole the ball from Logan and nailed a three-pointer for a 74-89 lead with 1:20 minutes left to decide the game for good.