Zaza Pachulia shines as Galatasaray Medical Park beat Asseco Prokom in overtime – Euroleague Recap
Zaza Pachulia led Galatasaray Medical Park in an enthralling overtime 78-76 victory over Asseco Prokom on November 24, 2011 at Abdi Ipekci Sports Hall. Galatasaray have now improved to 3-3 in Group D of the Turkish Euroleague regular
season. Prokom, meanwhile, lost their sixth consecutive game of this season and are the only winless team in the tournament so far.
Pachulia recorded a brilliant double-double with 19 points and 10 boards while Preston Shumpert came off the bench with 13 points and seven rebounds. Jamon Lucas added 12 points, grabbed five rebounds and stole the ball for three
times while Darius Songaila had 10 points and four rebounds in the victory.
Donatas Motiejunas led Prokom with a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds. The 21-year-old centre blocked four shots and stole the ball three times in more than 34 minutes of action. Oliver Lafayette punctuated 18 points on 8 for
9 shooting from free throw line, stole the ball four times and dished out four assists while Przemyslaw Zamojski had 15 points in the loss.
Medical Park shot 46 percent (23 for 50) from two-point range and 68.7 percent (11 for 16) from free throw line while Prokom ended with 41.6 percent (15 for 36) and 57.1 percent ( 16 for 28) respectively.
Zaza Pachulia opened the scoring with a layup for Medical Park with Asseco answered with seven consecutive points for a 7-2 lead. Pachulia managed back-to-back baskets and Luksa Andric drove to the rim against the tough Prokom’s
defence to put the hosts ahead again, 8-7. Asseco got back into the game with a 14-10 lead before Andric scored a lay-up at the end of the opening period to cut the margin to two, 14-12.
Prokom maintained their intensity early in the second quarter and maintained their two-point lead, 24-22, but Galatasaray made a great comeback with six consecutive points for a 28-24 advantage. The Medical Park did not lose focus
for rest of the quarter and pushed their lead to six with one minute to go in the first half. Oliver Lafayette however nailed a three-ball and Prokom Gdynia trailed just 34-31 after 30 minutes of action.
Przemyslaw hit a shot from downtown early in the third quarter and tied the game at 34 for Prokom. Motiejunas then charged ahead with 10 points, which gave Asseco Prokom the lead 44-34. Medical Park controlled Prokom’s offensive
pressure and sliced their lead to five, 51-46. However, Asseco scored six unanswered points in the last minute of the third period for a 57-46 lead into the fourth.
Medical Park made a brilliant comeback in the fourth quarter and trimmed their deficit to four with two minutes left. Motiejunas hit a free throw to make it 70-65 for Prokom but Galatasaray reeled off 5-0 run in the closing minute
and levelled the score at 70, sending the game into overtime.
In a closely contested overtime, Prokom found their way to take one-point lead, 75-74. Lafayette answered with a pair of free throws to put Medical Park ahead by one but Pachulia immediately scored a lay-up and hit a free throw
to seal the victory.
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