MUNICH (FIBA Europe Cup) - Nizhny Novgorod became the second Group I team to clinch a spot in the Round of 16, downing Istanbul BBSK 110-86 at home in Russia on Tuesday evening.

The Zoran Lukic-coached side improved to a 3-2 record and swung the head-to-head point differential in their favor, having lost the first game in Turkey by 3 points.

Turning Point: A high-paced opening quarter set the tone for the game, with Istanbul BBSK falling behind midway through the second quarter. Nizhny Novgorod had a 38-32 lead with 6:54, but used a 16-2 run in the next five minutes to make it a 20-point game, Stevan Jelovac capping the stretch with a three-pointer.

Game Hero: Ivan Strebkov picked up where he left off last week, as he turned in a season-high 27-point performance on an excellent 8-of-10 night from the field and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. The guard also added 5 assists and 3 rebounds, turning the ball over just once.

Stats Don't Lie: A stellar all-round game from Nizhny Novgorod left Istanbul BBSK with little chance to go toe-to-toe, but the 15-of-25 shooting from three-point range by the Russian side was what really killed any sense of competitiveness.

Bottom Line: With Nizhny Novgorod and ESSM Le Portel claiming the top spots in Group I, Istanbul BBSK still have an outside shot of qualifying for the Round of 16 as one of the best-ranked third-placed teams if a vacancy would open up due to an opt-out clause from one of the Basketball Champions League clubs.

FIBA