Only a half of the way

Spartak beat Budivelnik Kiev 83-72 in Game 1 of their quarterfinals series of Eurocup on Wednesday. The two-game series moves to the Ukrainian capital for the decisive Game 2 next week. Zach Wright paced the winners with 18 points and 7 assists. Loukas Mavrokefalides added 17 points, Josh Carter had 15, Janis Strelnieks got 12 and 7 assists, Vladimir Dragicevic contributed 11 points and Nikita Kurbanov pulled down 11 boards for Spartak. Leo Lyons led Budivelnik with 21 points. Artur Drozdov added 16, Michail Anisimov had 12, Malcolm Delaney 11 and Dainius Salenga 10. Spartak led 23-19 after 10 minutes and extended its margin to 43-36 at the break. Budivelnik trailed 47-36 early in the third quarter, but Anisimov, Lyons and Drozdov stepped up to give the guests a 57-58 edge after 30 minutes. Spartak found a go-to guy in Dragicevic, who got help from Kurbanov and Carter to seal the outcome of the game, 73-65, with four minutes to go. Each point counted, however, as late three-pointers by Strelnieks and Carter gave Spartak an important win in the series.

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Delaney got Budivelnik going with a layup in transition and Lyons matched Mavrokefalides's dunk with free throws for a 2-4 lead. Wright stepped up with consecutive layups in a 6-0 Spartak run that Strelnieks capped with a jumper. Lyons scored again and a three-pointer by Wright boosted the hosts' lead to 11-6. Kostiantyn Anikkienko scored around the basket and Lyons added a jumper but Dragicevic kept Spartak ahead, 15-10. Anisimov found his first points and Salenga matched Wright's layup-plus-foul with a bomb from downtown that kept Budivelnik within 18-15. Mavrokefalidis and Anisimov traded baskets, Salenga hit a jumper and a three-pointer by Carter fixed the score at 23-19 after 10 minutes. Mavrokefalides hit a three-pointer early in the second quarter. Anisimov made free throws but Carter erased those with a put-back basket. A three-pointer by Drozdov, however, made Spartak call timeout at 28-24. Yaroslav Korolev answered from downtown but a layup by Salenga and a triple by Lyons brought Budivelnik closer at 31-29. Strelnieks joined the three-point shootout, Lyons and Mavrokefalides traded layups and Wright soon gave Spartak some fresh air at 38-31. Strelnieks scored off a steal, Drozdov tried to change things with free throws and Kurbanov boosted the hosts' lead to 41-33. Salenga sank a triple and a buzzer-beating basket by Carter made it a seven-point game, 43-36, at halftime.

Back-to-back baskets by Mavrokefalides and Strelnieks gave Spartak its first double-digit margim 47-36, after the break. It didn't last long, however, as Lyons stepped up with a layup-plus-foul and Drozdov bettered Wright's dunk with a triple. A put-back basket by Lyons made Spartak call timeout at 49-44. Carter rescued Spartak with a jumper but Delaney made free throws and Drozdov nailed his third three-pointer to bring Budivelnik within 51-49. Wright scored again but a dunk by Anisimov and a three-pointer by Lyons completed the guests' comeback, 53-54. Mavrokefalides and Anisimov exchanged baskets and Kurbanov put Spartak back ahead, 57-56. Drozdov dunked it but Mavrokefalidis scored twice in the paint. Anisimov made free throws and a put-back basket by Kurbanov gave Spartak a 63-60 edge after 30 minutes. Kurbanov struck from downtown early in the fourth quarter. Delaney and Dragicevic traded baskets, as the game turned into a physical battle. Dragicevic scored again, Delaney took over with a three-point play but Carter struck from downtown for a 73-65 Spartak lead with 4 minutes left. A jumper by Wright soon made Budivelnik call timeout at 75-65. Delaney scored around the basket, Dragicevic stayed unstoppable with a put-back basket and a three-pointer by Drzodov brought Budivelnik a bit closer, 77-70. Strelnieks and Carter hit back-to-back triples and a buzzer-beating basket by Lyons brought Budivelnik within 83-72, as the series moves to Ukraine for Game 2.