Walden and Cline shine to give Holon edge over Balkan
HOLON (Israel) - UNET Holon got the Play-Offs underway with a dramatic come-from-behind victory at home, beating Balkan Botevgrad 85-81 in the first leg of the Round of 16 in Israel on Tuesday evening.
HOLON (Israel) - UNET Holon got the Play-Offs underway with a dramatic come-from-behind victory at home, beating Balkan Botevgrad 85-81 in the first leg of the Round of 16 in Israel on Tuesday evening.
The one-two punch of Corey Walden and T.J. Cline put the team on their back, combining for 27 points in the fourth quarter, as the hosts erased a double-digit deficit to put their noses in front before the reverse fixture in Bulgaria.
Turning point: Having trailed for most of the contest, Holon dug themselves out of the hole by going 6-of-8 from three-point range in the final period to outscore Balkan by 12 points during the fourth quarter.
YOU. CAN'T. GUARD. HIM. ❌
— FIBA Europe Cup (@FIBAEuropeCup) March 5, 2019
16 points in the 4th for @HapoelHolonBC's Corey Walden, including the 🚨-beating three. 👏#FIBAEuropeCup
📺 https://t.co/Dlr5iN2ZHy pic.twitter.com/OiqsdVtXCO
Game hero: It was all about Walden down the stretch, with the 26-year-old scoring ace exploding for 16 points in the final quarter of play and draining a dagger three-pointer to make it a two-possession lead right at the death to finish the night with 20 points, 4 assists and 2 rebounds.
Stats don't lie: The four-point margin keeps the drama alive for the return leg in Botevgrad, but Balkan will be disappointed not to return from Israel with a win after having the upper hand for 34 minutes and 39 seconds.
Bottom line: Despite their underdog status, the Nebojsa Vidic-coached Bulgarian side demonstrated they have what it takes to hang with Holon. They will attempt to overturn the four-point deficit in Botevgrad next Tuesday.
FIBA