By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
CSKA Moscow started off the year on a positive note, after grabbing a tough 84-79 victory against Zalgiris in Kaunas for Round 16 of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.
Daniel Hackett saved the day for the Russian side that nearly let the victory slip away as the hosts made a strong comeback in the second half. The Italian/American guard made a 5-0 run in the last minute of the game, adding up to 19 total points (3/4 from the three-point line).
Will Clyburn also helped his team seal the final result with a 19-point performance (along with four boards and three assists).
“I’m very satisfied with the character we showed most of the game. Those are the moments when you’ve been challenged, you’ve been doubted, and the players showed great character and responded on the court. We were trying to keep our composure throughout the game. That third quarter could have cost us, because the aggressivity was high”, commented coach Dimitris Itoudis after the game.
Zalgiris wasn’t able to bounce back in the last few seconds despite its overall positive presence in the second half and Brandon Davies’ 19-point contribution thus now falls to a 7-9 record in the standings. On the other side, CSKA‘s late run helped them move up to 12-4.