Basketball Champion's League allows for Estonian players' showdown
The FIBA Basketball Champions League meant two Estonians on opposing teams played each other Wednesday.
In the event, Henri Drell's team Badalona Joventut (Spain) beat Artur Konontšuk's Bursaspor (Turkey) 94:67 in their Group C clash, though Konontšuk got some consolation in being the highest scorer of the match.
Both are Estonian national team players and both play in the small forward position.
Drell played seasons in the U.S., where he played for NBA G-League affiliate team the Windy City Bulls, even getting court time for the full NBA Chicago Bulls team while there. He then went to the Rip City Remix, the NBA G-League affiliate of the Portland Trail Blazers, before returning to Europe earlier this year, first with Tenerife and now Joventut.
On Wednesday, Drell's club established a clear lead from the outset and sustained it throughout the game, with the margin in the 15- to 20-point range through much of the second half, widening further towards the end.
Drell got 15 minutes' court time, scoring seven points (two-pointers 3/3, three-pointers 0/2, free throws ½) during that time, as well as grabbing four rebounds, making two steals, blocking one shot, committing three turnovers, and drawing three fouls.
Konontšuk played for 32 minutes for Bursaspor, and his 15 points made him the game's top scorer. He also grabbed four rebounds, made one steal, and committed three turnovers.
Joventut now leads Group C with a perfect record of three wins, while Bursaspor has lost all three of its games so far.
The two teams meet again, this time in Turkey, early next month.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Siim Boikov
