Lavrinovic, Summers lead Budivelnik to last Euroleague home win
Budivelnik Kiev pleased its fans with one last home win in the team’s last Turkish Airlines Euroleague game this season by beating JSF Nanterre 97-87 on Friday. Budivelnik improved to 2-7 but was mathematically out of the Top 16 race due to its tie-break disadvantage in a potential three-way tie with Nanterre and Partizan NIS Belgrade, which was the only potential scenario in which the Ukrainian champs could have qualified. Accordingly, Budivelnik will continue its European campaign in the Eurocup Last 32. Nanterre dropped to 3-6 and needs to beat Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul and hope for CSKA Moscow to beat Partizan next week in order to reach the next stage. Darjus Lavrinovic paced the winners with 29 points on a near-perfect shooting performance – 5 of 5 two-point shots, 4 of 5 three-pointers and 7 of 7 free throws – plus 10 rebounds. DaJuan Summers added 23 points, Daequan Cook had 12 while Blake Ahearn got 10 for Budivelnik. David Lighty led Nanterre with 20 points. Will Daniels added 17 and Trent Meacham and Mam Jaiteh each had 14. Jaiteh added 11 boards for a double-double. An outstanding Lavrinovic helped Budivelnik to a 21-19 lead after 10 minutes. Lavrinovic got help from Summers and Minard to boost the hosts' lead to 50-43 at halftime. An 11-2 run that Summers capped with a three-pointer gave Budivelnik a 70-56 margin late in the third quarter. Nanterre kept trying but Budivelnik never looked back.
First quarter: Lavrinovic shines as Budivelnik jumps in front
Janis Strelnieks got Budivelnik going with a layup-plus-foul. Meacham swished a mid-range jumper that Lavrinovic matched with free throws. Ali Traore came off the bench and immediately delivered with a wild driving layup. Lavrinovic struck from downtown to give Budivelnik an 8-4 lead. Daniels made foul shots that Minard erased with a dunk off a midcourt steal. Nanterre kept struggling to score against the hosts' well-organized man-to-man defense. Lavrinovic kept pushing Budivelnik with a two-handed slam and Minard dunked again to make it 14-6 score. Daniels stepped up with a three-pointer from the top of the key, Cook shined with a driving layup and Traore kept Nanterre within 16-11. Ahearn nailed a three-pointer in transition, but Daniels made 4 free throws to keep his team within 19-15. Lavrinovic hit foul shots, but Daniels and Meacham brought Nanterre a bit closer, 21-19, after 10 minutes.
Second quarter: Summers, Lavrinovic extend hosts' advantage
Summers ignited the crowd with a high-flying alley-oop slam early in the second quarter. Meacham struck from downtown, but a layup by Cook restored a 25-22 Budivelnik edge. DeShaun Thomas stepped up with a second-chance basket that Cook matched with a five-meter jumper. A three-pointer by Xavier Corosine tied it at 27-27. Ahearn scored off a steal and a three-pointer by Lavrinovic gave Budivelnik fresh air at 32-27. Lighty downed a baseline jumper before Minard split free throws. Back-to-back baskets by Jaiteh tied it at 33-33. Summers buried a catch-and-shoot triple and Salenga also hit one from beyond the arc to cause Nanterre to call timeout at 39-33. Jaitah and Summers traded layups and a triple by Lavrinovic boosted the hosts' lead to 44-35. Daniels made free throws. Minard nailed an off-balance floater in the lane. Lighty kept Nanterre within 46-39. Jaiteh followed a driving basket with free throws, but Ahearn and Summer gave Budivelnik a 50-43 edge at halftime.
Third quarter: Budivelnik protect large lead
A three-point play by Salenga gave Budivelnik its first double-digit lead, 53-43, right after the break. Lighty tried to change things with an alleyoop layup that Summers erased with a huge dunk. Meacham scored in penetration but a power basket by Summers made Nanterre call timeout at 57-47. Daniels nailed a five-meter jumper, which Lighty followed with a long two-pointer to give Nanterre hope at 57-51. Summers scored again, but a triple by Meacham made it a 5-point game. Summers dunked again and a three-pointer by Lavrinovic gave Budivelnik plenty of fresh air at 64-54. Thomas buried a mid-range jumper that Cook bettered with a three-pointer. Summers added his own shot from downtown to break the game open, 70-56. Lighty and Je'Kel Foster tried to ignite the guests' comeback with a couple of steals and free throws. A layup by Traore and a free throw by Minard fixed the score at 71-62 after 30 minutes.
Fourth quarter: Budivelnik cruises to last Euroleague home win
Lavrinovic stayed on fire with a layup-plus-foul early in the fourth quarter. Thomas scored down low and a layup by Ahearn made it a 12-point game. Daniels dunked. Soon Budivelnik started trying to run the game clock down by using long possessions. Lavrinovic hit free throws and an eight-meter bomb by Cook seemed to seal the outcome, 81-66, with over six minutes left. Lighty followed free throws with a layup, but Lavrinovic followed a jumper with a put-back basket for an 85-71 Budivelnik margin. After Jaiteh scored down low, Salenga and Meacham traded triples. A layup-plus-foul by Summers boosted Budivelnik's lead to 91-76. Thomas joined the three-point shootout and a jumper by Lighty kept Nanterre within 93-81. Lavrinovic scored again and by the time Minard split free throws, everything was said and done. Budivelnik celebrated a big win and Nanterre returned home knowing that its chances to get to the Top 16 depend on a home win in Round 10, combined with other results.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Euroleague.net