By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Alec Peters and Rokas Giedraitis were missing for Baskonia, however, nobody expected the guests to go down without a fight. That’s why everyone was surprised when the game turned out to be a walk in the part for UNICS Kazan and an easy 83-69 win.
The final score is almost flattering for Baskonia, which trailed even by 29 points just before halftime (48-19) after a 24-2 partial score for UNICS in the second quarter. “We played really well in the first half, we made a lot of shots and we also had a good performance in defense”, said UNICS coach Velimir Perasovic after the game.
UNICS entered the game having the worst shooting percentage in the EuroLeague, but this changed as Perasovic noted with a smile: “When you score, it’s easier to play defense”.
Andrey Vorontsevich and John Brown with 14 points each were the top scorers of the home side.
On the other side, Wade Baldwin scored 23 points, while Matt Costello added 18 points and Tadas Sedekerskis had 11 points and 11 rebounds but they were not factors in the game.
“I think that everything starts from our hard defense and that happened in the game”, added Vorontsevich. “We know that Baskonia is one of the best teams of the league in offensive rebounds, but we controlled the boards”.
After a competitive first period in which UNICS got a 24-17 lead, the halftime score was 48-23 and the game was over. “We did fight in the second half, but this time is known for its character and in the first half we didn’t have it”, said Baskonia coach Dusko Ivanovic.
Former NBA standout O.J.Mayo played eight minutes for UNICS, scored four points, and also had a steal and two turnovers. Baskonia holds a 3-3 record after this result, while UNICS moved to 2-4.