By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
In an impressive match in Krasnodar, Lokomotiv Kuban stood tall in the end and beat Barcelona 78-74 to earn first place in group C. This was the eighth win for the hosts (8-2), whereas the visitors suffered their fourth loss (6-4) and finished second.
For the winners, Malcolm Delaney was tremendous with 19 points and nine assists, as Anthony Randolph added 16 points and seven rebounds. On the other hand, Juan Carlos Navarro did his best with 22 points on 5 for 8 from the three-point range, with Ante Tomic scoring 17 points and grabbing seven rebounds.
In the first quarter, the match was close (8-8, 14-14), with Lokomotiv being in front by just one point (18-17), after 10 minutes in the game. Later, though, things changed. Barcelona played excellent defence (as they conceded just 11 points), while they executed very well offensively and, consequently, they closed the first half with a six-point advantage (29-35).
In the second half, the hosts enhanced their overall performance and made a 17-9 run to regain the lead (46-44). However, the Spaniards responded with a 8-16 run of their own, with Navarro hitting consecutive three-pointers, and ended the third quarter with a six -point advantage (54-60). The Russians started the fourth quarter, playing perfectly on both ends of the floor and took the lead (68-67), behind a 14-7 run. Barcelona, though, came back (70-71), with two minutes to go, but Giorgos Bartzokas’ team stood tall, hitting big shots and grabbing crucial rebounds, and claimed a big victory (78-74), finishing first in group C.