Alba to quarterfinals after rallying to sweep Dinamo Sassari

Alba Berlin rallied from 13 points down in Game 2, edging Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari 96-93 on Tuesday night in the German capital for a sweep of the Eurocup Eighthfinals series with 187-176 aggregate score, and advancing to the quarterfinals for the second time this century. In the quarterfinals the Berliners wait for the winner of the Valencia Basket vs. Khimki Moscow Region series. Alba came into the clash with an 8-point cushion from Game 1, but Sassari build a 44-57 lead early midway through the third quarter of Game 2, giving the visitors 135-140 series edge. However, Leon Radosevic and Reggie Redding made a 9-0 run to rally the Berliners, and the duo helped Alba take 74-69 fourth quarter lead in the game, and a 13-point advantage in the series. Sassari hit from long range, but Alba prevailed to advance to the next phase. Radosevic led the way with 18 points plus 6 rebounds, while Levon Kendall had 16 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Reggie Redding had 14 points and 6 assists, while David Logan netted 14 in victory. Drew Gordon collected 18 points and 7 rebounds for Sassari. Caleb Green finished with 17, Drake Diener scored 16, Marques Green netted 11, while Omar Thomas had 10 points in defeat.

Drake Diener and Omar Thomas hit triples in the early going, and Caleb Green was fouled behind the three point arc, as the visitors grabbed an 8-13 lead. Jan-Hendrick Jagla hit back-to-back triples for Alba, cutting it to 14-15, but Travis Diener dished 5 assists in a quarter, before Giacomo Devecchi hit a triple, helping Sassari to 20-26 lead after the first quarter. It also meant Sassari cut the aggregate score to 111-109, but Levon Kendall and Leon Radosevic each scored 4 points early in the second, to tie the game at 28-28, and restore Berlin’s 8-point series advantage. Drake Diener and Marques Green quickly put the visitors back in front, and despite David Logan hitting a three-pointer for the hosts, a pair of close-range baskets from Drew Gordon extended it to 33-40. Dinamo Sassari went into halftime with 39-45 lead, but Alba was still holding 130-128 series advantage.

A jumper from Travis Diener and a put-back from Gordon, followed by a triple from Omar Thomas and a basket-plus-foul from Drake Diener got Sassari to 44-57, and 135-140 series lead. But Radosevic scored a layup and a dunk, before Reggie Redding had a three-pointer and a put-back in a 9-0 run. A second-chance layup from Jonas Wohlfarth cut it to 59-61 for the game, and made it 150-144 in the series. Marques Green hit a three-pointer to keep the visitors with 63-66 lead after three quarters, but Alba jumped in front at the start of the fourth with a steal and a fastbreak from Redding, followed by a triple from Alex King for 68-66. Radosevic strung together 6 points for 74-69, which was also a 13-point series lead (165-152), but back-to-back triples from Manuel Vanuzzo and Marques Green kept Sassari’s hopes alive. Another three from Marques Green made it 76-78 (167-161), but Alba regained the lead in the game with a layup from Redding and a fastbreak dunk from Cliff Hammonds, 85-82. A third triple from Logan with little over 90 seconds to go, made it 90-84, sealing the deal. It remained only a matter who will win Game 2. Caleb Green scored 9 points for the visitors, getting Sassari to 94-93, but Alba prevailed in that battle as well, after a pair of free throws from Vojdan Stojanovski for the final score.