Euro Hoops: Hapoel humbled by Kazan in Russia

Guy Goode's Jerusalem side loses by 22 points in first leg of Eurocup qualifier.

By ALLON SINAI
timmy bowers 224 (photo credit: Asaf Kliger)
timmy bowers 224
(photo credit: Asaf Kliger)
Hapoel Jerusalem will have an almost impossible task to contend with when it attempts to qualify for the Eurocup group stage next week after suffering an 88-66 defeat at Unics Kazan on Tuesday evening. There may have been no repeat of last season's 53-point thrashing in Russia, but the 22-point loss in the second qualifying round first leg is still a crippling blow to Hapoel's chances of reaching the group stage of the competition, previously known as the ULEB Cup. Hapoel trailed throughout Tuesday's game against Kazan's star-studded roster and, if the first leg in anything to go by, Guy Goodes's team will find it difficult to win by even the smallest of margins next week and can already look ahead to playing in Europe's third tier event, the EuroChallenge. "I think we remained close enough to Kazan during most of the game, but their physical advantage made the difference in the final five minutes," Goodes said. "In the closing minutes fatigue took its toll and affected our decision making. "They reached the margin they wanted, but we still believe. I told the players that this was only the first half of the tie and we still have the second half to look forward to next week in Jerusalem." Timmy Bowers led Hapoel, scoring 18 points, with Travis Watson adding 14 points and 10 rebounds. Jerusalem's only other player in double-figures was Yuval Naimi, who scored 11 points. "We began the game poorly and ended up chasing them throughout the encounter," Naimi said. "We lost our concentration in the final minutes and you can't afford to do that against Kazan. "We will have to excel in the return leg. It won't be easy, but I'm sure that with the help of the fans we can give them a real fight." Terrell Lyday scored 17 points for Kazan, with Dmitry Sokolov and Tariq Kirksay adding 16 and 15 points respectively. Kazan opened the game with a 9-0 run and it took Hapoel almost four minutes to score its first points of the night. The hosts extended their lead to double-digits by the end of the first period (22-12) and a Marko Popovic three-pointer gave the team a 26-12 margin. Jerusalem managed to close within eight points during the second quarter, but at the break Kazan was still comfortably in front (43-31). A 6-0 run with four minutes to play in the third period cut the gap to 50-43 and gave the visitors renewed hope. Kazan, however, increased its lead to 59-47 with 10 minutes to play and the margin continued to grow in the fourth quarter. Lyday's three opened a 69-52 advantage and another triple, this time by Vladimir Veremeenko, gave the hosts an 81-60 lead with just over two minutes to play. Hapoel failed to limit the damage in the closing stages and will need to record one of the greatest victories in its European history next Tuesday if it's to reach the Eurocup group stage. Also Tuesday, former Jerusalem star Guy Pnini signed a one-year deal at Serbian side FMP Zeleznik. Pnini has already agreed to a three-year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv, starting from next season.