Lokomotiv stays perfect on a Brown game-winner

Derrick Brown hit a layup high off the glass with 4.2 seconds to go, lifting Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar to 89-90 road win at Valencia Basket. It was a clash of the last two Eurocup champions going to Lokomotiv - the 2013 titlist – which did not lose in Eurocup since winning that title, and has extended its best-ever Eurocup winning streak to 17 games. Second-place Valencia finished the Last 32 with 3-3 record, and will play Bayern Munich in the eighthfinals, while Lokomotiv moves on to face Brose Baskets Bamberg. In a tight, hard-fought match, Valencia led in the first half by as many as 39-26, but Lokomotiv caught up and went in front early in the third, 54-55. Teams traded leads, as the game went down to the wire, and a three-point play from Bojan Dubljevic gave Valencia 89-88 with 9.4 seconds remaining. However, After a timeout, Brown drove to the basket for a tough layup, keeping Lokomotiv’s perfect season alive. Malcolm Delaney hit 4 of 5 triples for 23 points, Anthony Randolph scored 20, Kruno Simon had 16 points in victory. Nikita Kurbanov chipped in with 11, and Brown finished with 10. Pau Ribas and Dubljevic each had 14 for Valencia, Vladimir Lucic had 13, Kresimir Loncar 11, and Romain Sato 10 points in defeat.

Delaney and Mantas Kalnietis sank three-pointers in the early going for Lokomotiv, but Rafa Martinez hit a pair of triples for Valencia, with Dubljevic squeezing in a basket-plus-foul in between for 15-11. Ribas and Delaney traded threes, and Luke Haragondy also nailed one for the hosts. But Lokomotiv answered with back-to-back triples from Kurbanov and Maxim Kolyushkin for 23-24, before Loncar and Lucic ensured Valencia of 29-24 lead after the first quarter. A triple and a jumper from Ribas, followed by a three-pointer by Loncar gave the hosts 39-26 after only 3 minutes in the second, and despite baskets from Randolph and Simon, consecutive threes from Ribas and Lucic made it 47-33. However, Randolph scored 9 in a run that got Lokomotiv within 6 points, before Dubljevic scored inside for Valencia to take 54-46 into halftime.

Lokomotiv opened the third quarter with 9 consecutive points, run fueled by Randolph and Brown, and capped by Simon for 54-55. Harangody hit a three for the hosts, and Delaney for Lokomotiv, and Valencia regained a slim lead. Loncar scored to make it 63-60, but a pair of dunks from Randolph put the visitors back in front. Teams were tied at 68-68 after three quarters, and stayed close in the fourth. Loncar and Sato inside, and Ribas from the outside scored for Valencia, but Delaney strung together 8 in a row for Lokomotiv, before Simon hit a jumper for 77-78. Guillem Vives and Lucic hit triples for the hosts, but a three-pointer from Simon with 71 seconds to go made it 86-86. Delaney added two free throws to put Lokomotiv in front, but Dubljevic made a pump-fake inside, got a luck roll on a layup, and added a free throw to complete a three-point play with 9.2 second to go. After Brown scored what proved to be a game-winner, Dubljevic had the last attempt, but his turnaround baseline jumper at the buzzer fell short of the rim.