Pasecniks' Team Beats Turkish Champions, Younger Kurucs Brother Wins Sibling Duel
Latvian basketball players featured in Turkish, Spanish and Italian league games on Sunday. Anzejs Pasecniks' Petkim Spor beat champions Fenerbahce, while Arturs Kurucs' Tenerife defeated Rodions Kurucs' Baskonia in Spain's ACB league.
In the Turkish Basketball Super League, Petkim Spor won 82:77 away against reigning national champions Fenerbahce of Istanbul. Latvian center Anzejs Pasecniks started for Petkim and played almost 14 minutes. He scored three points (two-pointers 1/1, three-pointers 0/1, free throws 1/2) and added one assist. Petkim's top scorer was Max Abmas with 18 points. For Fenerbahce, Tyrese Horton-Tucker scored 17, while Shane Larkins finished without a point.
Kurucs brothers face off in Spain
In Spain's top basketball division, the ACB league, Tenerife beat Baskonia 82:77 at home, handing Baskonia its first loss of the season. As a result, Baskonia gave up the lead in the standings. Two Latvian brothers met on court. The younger, Arturs Kurucs, played for Tenerife for almost 18 minutes, scoring two points, grabbing three rebounds and committing one turnover. His older brother Rodions Kurucs played 13.5 minutes for Baskonia, recording nine points (two-pointers 2/2, three-pointers 1/3, free throws 2/2), one rebound, one assist and two turnovers.
In Valencia, UCAM Murcia lost 93:116. Marcis Steinbergs played over 14 minutes and scored six points (three-pointers 2/4), with two rebounds and one steal. For the winners, TJ Shorts, a former Ventspils player, scored 16 points.
As reported earlier, Roberts Blumbergs scored nine points in Zaragoza's 109:98 win over Lleida, while Karlis Skilins scored 16 points as Coruna's second-best scorer in a 90:110 loss away to Girona.
Italy and Spain's second tier
In the Italian championship, Cantu, with Andrejs Grazulis, lost 72:92 to his former team Trieste. Grazulis played 19 minutes, scoring six points (two-pointers 3/4, three-pointers 0/3) and grabbing five rebounds. Cantu has lost all four of its games this season and sits last among the league's 16 teams.
In Spain's FEB league, the country's second-strongest division, Palencia lost 77:86 away to Estudiantes in Madrid. Latvian guard Ingus Jakovics played 20 minutes, scoring six points (three-pointers 1/9), with three assists and one rebound.
