Last-second game-winner lifts Aris over Buducnost, 76-75

Roberto Gallinat skied high in the final second of the game and threw down a put-back dunk with 0.8 seconds to go to lift Aris Midea Thessaloniki to a thrilling 76-75 come-from-behind in over the visiting Buducnost VOLI Podgorica on Wednesday night. Aris improved to 7-8 for a share of fifth place in Group B and swept its head-to-head series with Buducnost, which in turn dropped to 6-9.
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The visitors led by as many as 11 points in the third quarter, but Aris rallied and went in front in the fourth quarter behind three-pointers from Vassilis Toliopoulos and Ronnie Harrell. Buducnost restored the lead and had a chance to seal its win, but Aris made a defensive stand then had Gallinat come down with a last-second game-winner that inched the team closer to a place in the playoffs.
Toliopoulos led Aris with 20 points, and Gallinat finished with 14 in a winning effort. McKinley Wright led Buducnost with 14 points, Yogi Ferrell scored 13 and Nikola Tanaskovic had 10 in the loss.
Wright had a triple early for Buducnost, and Toliopoulos had one for the hosts to tie the game at 7-7. There were no long-range shots made the rest of the first quarter, as the teams struggled finding their offensive rhythm. Kris Bankston had a three-point play and Toliopoulos banked a jumper to help Aris open a 17-13 lead. However, the visitors did not allow a single bucket for more than 3 minutes to finish the opening quarter, making 5 of 6 free throws to hold a 17-18 lead after 10 minutes of play.
Toliopoulos and Ferrell traded threes early in the second, before Kenan Kamenjas, Ferrell, Yoan Makoundou and Wright all finished at the rim in a 0-11 run to open a 24-34 margin midway through the second. Aris was without a field goal for 4 and a half minutes before Roberts Blumbergs's transition triple cut it to 29-36. Now, Buducnost was struggling getting buckets, as Silvio De Sousa and Dimitris Katsivelis scored inside to make it 34-39 at halftime.
Lideri utakmice
The game pace picked up in the second half. Brandon Paul and Eleftherios Bochoridis traded triples, before Tanaskovic pulled down 3 offensive boards, converting 2 of those into layups that helped open a 43-51 margin. A four-point play from Fletcher Magee opened a 45-55 margin. Gallinat answered with a three-pointer and assisted on an alley-oop dunk by De Sousa, but Kamenjas scored twice inside to help keep Buducnost up 54-63 after 30 minutes.
Ismael Sanogo opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer for the hosts. Ferrell and Harrell traded threes before Toliopoulos took it to the rim, cutting it to 63-66. Harrell's second three-pointer tied it at 66-66 with 5 minutes to go, and Toliopoulos got Aris back in front, 71-68, with a triple some 90 seconds later. But the visitors responded, a transition triple from Ferrell got them back ahead, 71-73. Toliopoulos immediately replied with another three of his own with 1:32 left. Jones scored from close range before the visitors made a defensive stand and had an offensive rebound. However, Aris had 8 seconds for its final possession in which Harrell missed a transition triple, but Gallinat rose high for a put-back dunk that gave Aris an important victory.