Lampe, Wolters lift Besiktas past PAOK

Besiktas Sompo Japan Istanbul moved up to 2-1 in Group E by downing PAOK Thessaloniki 80-100 in Greece on Wednesday. Nate Wolters paced the winners with 27 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists. Maciej Lampe added 18 points and 15 rebounds, Erik Murphy had 15 points, Cenk Akyol and Engin Atsur each got 12 while Tremmell Darden contributed 10 in a big win for Besiktas. Nikola Markovic led PAOK with 17 points. William Hatcher added 15, Milenko Tepic had 14 while Kostas Vasileiadis got 11 for the hosts. Besiktas had 10-of-17 three-point shots and four players in double digits before halftime, with Lampe getting his double-double - 10 points, 10 rebounds - in the 11th minute of the game. Besiktas led 14-27 after 10 minutes and boosted its margin to 28-55 at halftime. PAOK managed to get within 57-66 but Atsur, Lampe and an outstanding Wolters stepped up to seal the outcome way before the final buzzer.

Wolters scored off a steal and Lampe soon gave Besiktas a 2-4 lead. Markovic and Evangelos Margaritis stepped up for PAOK, bringing the hosts within 8-9. Besiktas kept running its offense through a dominant Lampe, who got help from Darden and Murphy to make it a double-digit game, 8-18. Walters capped an 0-11 Besiktas run, as Tepic brought PAOK within 10-20. Lampe struck from downtown, igniting a 0-7 run which Murphy capped with a close basket. Tepic kept PAOK within 14-27 after 10 minutes. A red hot Lampe struck twice from downtown and fed Akyol for a layup to make Besiktas break the game open, 16-35, early in the second quarter. Wolters joined the three-point shootout and found help from D.J. Seeley to make it a 25-point game, 18-43. Tepic kept pacing PAOK with free throws but Akyol took over with consecutive three-pointers and Murphy added another one to give the guests a 28-55 margin at halftime.

Murphy and Darden kept Besiktas way ahead, 31-58, early in the fourth quarter. PAOK found a go-to guy in Vasileiadis, who struck twice from downtown in an 8-0 run that brought the hosts a bit closer, 39-58. Wolters insisted from downtown but PAOK kept finding good options on offense. Hatcher and Markovic combined for 8 points in another 10-0 run which brought the hosts back to life, 49-61. Atsur hit one from beyond the arc but Hatcher and Markovic answered from downtown to get PAOK within single digits, 57-66. Akyol and an unstoppable Wolters gave Besiktas some fresh air, 61-72, after 30 minutes. Lampe and Wolters kept leading Besiktas early in the fourth quarter but a three-pointer by Georgios Dedas kept PAOK as close as 65-76. Atsur stepped up with consecutive triples in an 0-8 run that sealed the outcome, 65-84, with 6 minutes left. Hatcher, Vasileadis and Kostas Kakaroudis brought PAOK within 76-89 but it was too little, too late for the hosts, as Besiktas had cruised to a well-deserved win.