Dynamo Moscow dispose of Lukoil thanks to a rocketing start

Stoykov versus Nachbar (dynamobasket.com)

02-12-2008 20:28

Dynamo Moscow stayed undefeated in Group B of the EuroCup and set a major showdown next week by thrashing Lukoil Academic 94-78 in the Russian capital on Tuesday. Dynamo ties atop the Group B standings with Unics Kazan, each at 2-0. Both teams are set to face each other in Kazan next week and then again in Moscow on December 16, in decisive games to finish first in this group.

Travis Hansen led the winners with 23 points and 8 rebounds. Sergey Monya and Bostjan Nachbar each added 14 points while Darjus Lavrinovic had 10 for Dynamo. Riste Stefanov had 18 points for Lukoil, Andrew Adeleke added 16, Todor Stoykov 14 and Kevin Kruger 11. Hansen had 13 points in a 15-0 opening run that made Dynamo take off for good. Nachbar buried consecutive triples to boost the hosts' margin to 24-4 after 10 minutes. Lukoil found a go-to guy in Kruger, but the Bulgarian team only managed to trade baskets in the second quarter to get within 46-27 at halftime. Stoykov and Adeleke rescued Lukoil after the break while a three-pointer by Stefanov made it an 11-point game, 64-53, after 30 minutes. Jannero Pargo and Hansen stepped up early in the fourth quarter to seal the outcome minutes before the final buzzer.

Dynamo found a go-to guy in Hansen right at the start of the game, as he followed a layup with free throws for a 4-0 lead. Lukoil missed its 10 opening shots - eight of them from three-point range. Meanwhile, Hansen fed Robertas Javtokas for a dunk and added his own slam to make the guests call timeout at 8-0. Hansen stayed simply unstoppable, as he fired in a triple, added a layup and dunked it again for a 15-0 margin. Nenad Canak finally got Lukoil going with a layup but Nachbar and Monya struck from downtown make it a 20-point game, 24-4, after just 10 minutes. Stefanov tried to ignite Lukoil's comeback with a triple but Yuri Vasilyev and Darjus Lavrinovic fueled an 8-0 run that broke the game open, 32-7. Veselin Veselinov stepped up with a layup-plus-foul while Kruger followed a basket with consecutive triples to bring Lukoil within 36-18. Hansen and Kruger traded three-pointers while Adeleke scored to make it a 16-point game, 39-23. Javtokas and Nachbar took over late in the first half to keep Dynamo way ahead, 46-27, at halftime.

Dynamo tried to get its frontcourt involved right after the break, as Javtokas and Lavrinovic scored for a 50-30 score. Lukoil tried to be more aggressive in offense, feeding Adeleke down low. He followed a dunk with a layup while Canak scored again to give the guests some hope at 52-36. Hollis Price nailed a triple while Stoykov and Lavrinovic traded free throws for a 57-38 Dynamo margin. Adeleke kept pacing Lukoil while Stoykov had 5 unanswered points to get the guests even closer, 60-48. Monya and Price stepped up but a triple by Stefanov got Lukoil within 64-53 after 30 minutes. Pargo had 4 quick points early in the fourth quarter while Hansen followed a three-pointer with a dunk to seal the outcome, 75-56, with 7 minutes to go. Stefanov and Stoykov kept trying and brought Lukoil within 85-75 with 2 minutes to go but it happened to be too little, too late for the guests, as all Dynamo fans were already celebrating a big home win.

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