A bad third quarter and a great performance by Drake Diener, with 31 points and 7 three-pointers, condemn Cajasol to win in Belgrade next week after losing 76-85 against Dinamo Sassari.
It’s so funny to see play Dinamo Sassari. Coach Sacchetti trusts mainly in 5 starting players and a couple of reserves, but they run the floor as it was the last day of their lives. It’s some kind of european run-and-gun, which explains why this experienced team can play with a center like Tony Easley, and still succeed. They just don’t want to play 5-on-5, it’s always better to shoot before the rival team sets defense.
This way of playing completely knocked Cajasol out. They didn’t lose the game in the first half though, thanks to good minutes at the end of the second quarter by Tepic and Asbury to leave Sassari with a 16-points lead. The italian team played running so much that local fans hoped they got tired in the second half. But they didn’t.
The beginning of the third quarter was the key of the game. Sassari finally broke the game thanks to an endless streak of three-pointer by Drake Diener. Amazing game by the older Diener, who took advantage of the great point guard who is his cousin Travis. He ordered and Drake scored. In Cajasol, only Asbury could score, and it was after five minutes to break a 0-12 run. Latavious Williams, the new addition to the sevillian team, proved that he can be “the man” inside.
Despite all this, the game entered the last quarter with chances for Cajasol to win the game. Sassari’s players were kind of tired, but they managed to play with the minutes left to let the game die with Cajasol’s players running from side to side of the court trying to steal the ball.
This on-the-road-win gives the italian team the chance to advance to Last16 if they win next week against Orleans, no matter what Cajasol does against Red Star in Belgrade.