«Astana» Astana, Kazakhstan vs. «Kalev» Tallinn, Estonia

Astana defeated Kalev at home, 97-91. After a sluggish start, the home team took the lead midway through the 2nd quarter and held off Kalev down the stretch for a six-point win. Astana makes up for Sunday's 38-point loss to Avtodor and improves to 3-6.

Intro
Kalev had success going to Josh Boone in the paint in the 1st quarter, while knocking down four of seven 3-point attempts. The home team, meanwhile, only shot 23% from the field and trailed by eight after 10 minutes.

During the 2nd quarter, Astana tightened the screws on defense and gradually shifted the momentum in its favor. Nik Caner-Medley and Alexey Zhukanenko also got going on offense, giving the home team a 48-46 lead at halftime.

Astana maintained its rhythm after the break. The Kazakhs split open Kalev's defense with a high pick-and-roll...Caner-Medley and Zhukanenko each had 18 points entering the 4th quarter, while Astana led by nine.

Kenneth Hayes scored eight points in the first four minutes of the final period, but Kalev gradually made up the deficit, closing to three points twice in the final minutes.

Turning Point
Hayes came through in the clutch for Astana. He started by knocking down a jumper, before icing the game at the free-throw line with six free throws in the final minute.

Star Player
Kenneth Hayes. Hayes got going with a dunk-and-1 to close the 3rd quarter, then poured in 16 points in the final period to help Astana hold off Kalev down the stretch. He finished with 29 points and three assists.

Stat of the Game
1 - number of lead changes. After taking the lead midway through the 2nd quarter, Astana never looked back.

Quotes
Astana head coach Ramunas Butautas:
- The key to success today was the guy's unselfish play and great attitude. Everyone who took the court gave 100%.

Kalev head coach Alar Varrak:
- Both teams played great, up-tempo basketball today with Astana coming out on top. We started well, but our opponent managed to steal the initiative. The game was high-scoring, but both teams also played well on defense.

Stats

Snapshot