Basket Fiba Europe Cup: Reggio shot in Warsaw with Hopkins and Cinciarini

Away victory for Reggio Emilia that overtakes the Poles of Legia Warsaw in the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Fiba Europe Cup. Caja’s team will thus be able to administer a three-point advantage in the return match that will be played next Wednesday at the Unipol Arena .

Legia Warsaw-Reggio Emilia 68-71

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Great performance in directing for the usual Cinciarini (14 assists) who inspired the decisive final break signed by Thompson and Hopkins, while the former canturino Robert Johnson has instead failed the draw on the siren. Still without Diouf and Candi, coach Caja chooses the quintet made up of Cinciarini, Larson, Strautins, Justin Johnson and Hopkins, coach Kaminski responds instead with Koszarek, Robert Johnson, Cowels, Kulka and Kemp. Legia starts better and immediately scores a 10-0 break signed by Kulka and closes the first quarter ahead (23-16). Unahotels, however, raises the defensive intensity and finds good responses in attack from Baldi Rossi (two triples) and Justin Johnson (9 points), thus managing to move forward at the interval (33-35). In the third quarter the percentages are not exciting, but Reggio still manages to keep the advantage intact (53-55) by hammering under the basket with Hopkins. The hosts, however, suddenly light up thanks to Robert Johnson and Kulka, putting together a 12-2 run in 4 minutes that propels them forward (65-57 in the 34th minute). The reaction of the Emilians, however, is equally vehement and so Cinciarini and Thompson lead a 14-3 break with which they resume the first leg of the quarter-finals.

Warsaw Cowels 19, Kulka 16, R. Johnson 11
Reggio Emilia Hopkins 13, Thompson 12, Strautins 11