Zvezda rallies to stun CSKA in OT

Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade came back from a 14-point third-quarter deficit to pull out a thrilling 86-84 overtime win over visiting CSKA Moscow on Thursday night in the Serbian capital. The win improved Zvezda's record to 2-2, while CSKA suffered its second consecutive loss and fell to 2-3 on the young season. CSKA led 35-49 early in the third quarter, but Zvezda locked down defensively and answered with an 11-2 run to get back in the game and forced the game to go down to the wire. Jordan Loyd shined for Zvezda, dropping a career-high and a EuroLeague season-high 31 points in less than 31 minutes on the floor. Corey Walden scored 12 points, Marko Jagodic-Kuridza collected 11 points and 6 rebounds, while Emanuel Terry debuted with 10 points in the victory. Daniel Hackett scored a career-high 29 points on 6-for-8 three-point shooting. Will Clyburn added 18 points and Mike James tallied 9 points and 8 assists in defeat.

Jagodic-Kuridza knocked down a triple to get the hosts going early, but CSKA answered with 7 consecutive points, including a put-back from Nikola Milutinov and a triple from Hackett, to take an early 5-9 lead. Langston Hall hit another long-range dagger for the hosts, but Nikita Kurbanov scored from the left corner to keep the visitors in front. A three-point play from Loyd and a three-pointer from Corey Walden tied it at 16-16 late in the first, but Johannes Voigtmann's layup helped CSKA to an 18-20 edge after 10 minutes. A pair of buckets by Clyburn inside kept the visitors in front early in the second. Loyd and Walden each drove for a layup for Zvezda, before Clyburn's triple opened a 24-31 advantage midway through the second quarter. Loyd was hot, hitting a triple-plus-foul, but Hackett answered with a corner three before a put-back from Clyburn made it 28-36. Loyd and Walden drove to the basket to keep Zvezda in touch, but Voigtmann scored 5 points in the final 2 minutes of the half to give CSKA a 35-43 halftime lead.

CSKA pulled away to a double-digit margin behind its defense and 6 points from Hackett and Toko Shengelia, with the latter knocking down a triple. Zvezda needed nearly 4 minutes to score in the third when Loyd drove for a layup. The hosts raised the level of energy and aggressiveness on defense, not allowing any points for the final 5:24 of the quarter. During that span, a triple from Walden and a put-back from Terry helped Zvezda rally to 46-51 going into the final quarter. Hackett ended CSKA's drought with a fastbreak layup, but Loyd drove to the hoop and Hall nailed a triple to get within 51-54. A triple from Duop Reath tied the score at 56-56, but Hackett hit a mid-range jumper and a triple to put CSKA back ahead. Hackett's fourth three-pointer made it 58-64 and after baskets from Jagoda-Kuridza and Loyd, James drove for his first field goal of the night before Hackett's fifth triple got CSKA up 64-70. But the hosts replied with a 7-0 run, as Dejan Davidovac had a triple and a put-back to give Zvezda a 71-70 edge. Hackett answered with a triple, but Loyd sent the game to overtime from the free-throw line.

Clyburn struck first in the extra session, but Taylor Rochestie and Terry connected for back-to-back alley-oop slams before Loyd's three-pointer made it 80-75. James scored 5 points to help tie it at 84-84, but Loyd drove for a layup in a crowd for what turned out to be the game-winning basket. James had two tries to tie it or win for CSKA, but Zvezda prevailed.

Loyd wins scoring duel

This game featured three top scorers entering this round and Jordan Loyd finished with 31 points to extend his lead atop of the scoring chart with 23.8 points. Mike James scored 9 points to drop his average to 17.6 points and Will Clyburn scored 18 and now averages 19.2 for the season.

End of a streak

Mike James entered the game with a 30-game streak of scoring in double figures and a streak of making at least one three-pointer in 25 consecutive games. Both of those ended on Thursday night. James came off the bench and did not score a field goal until 3:25 left in regulation. He finished with 9 points, shooting 0-for-4 from long range, but did dish a season-high 8 assists.

Key record

For the fourth time in club history, Zvezda shot free throws without a miss. Zvezda was 17 for 17 from the free-throw line on the night, which turned out to be crucial in a tight overtime win. Two of those foul shots, by Jordan Loyd, sent the game into overtime with 35 seconds left in regulation.

Defensive third quarter

CSKA opened the third quarter on a 0-6 run and did not allow a single basket for almost 4 minutes. Then, it was Zvezda that stepped up defensively, not allowing a single field goal over the final 7 and a half minutes of the quarter to cut the deficit with an 11-2 run.

First impression

Zvezda center Emanuel Terry made his EuroLeague debut in this game and finished with 10 points. After a rough first half when he ended up on the wrong side of a pair of CSKA big plays, Terry came up big in overtime when he had back-to-back alley-oop slams, both assisted by Taylor Rochestie, who played his first game back in a Zvezda uniform.

Next round

Next week in Round 6, both teams will be playing in Moscow. CSKA will be at home, welcoming Valencia Basket on Thursday, October 29, and a day later Zvezda will visit Khimki Moscow Region.