Liga Nationala Round 21 (Regular Season): Galati still not able to record any victory

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

Bottom-ranked Galati is still unable to win any game. This time they could not use their home court advantage losing their 19th consecutive match to fifth ranked Craiova (12-7) 106-74 on Saturday evening. The game without a history. Craiova led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. It was a good game for American point guard Sam Sessoms (182-1999, college: Coppin St.) who led his team to a victory with 18 points and 9 assists. His fellow American import guard Ishmael Leggett (190, college: Pittsburgh) contributed with 22 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. Lithuanian forward Martynas Arlauskas (203-2000, college: Gonzaga) answered with 22 points and 7 rebounds for Galati. Galati's coach Catalin Stefanescu gave up on the game allowing to play eleven players seeing no chance for a win. Craiova maintains fifth place with 12-7 record. Galati at the other side still closes the standings with 19 games lost. Craiova are looking forward to face Targu Jiu (#14) in Rovinari in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Galati will play at home against Timisoara and hopes to get finally their first victory.
The game in Timisoara was also worth to mention about. Fourth ranked Dinamo (13-7) played at the court of 6th ranked Timisoara (11-9). Dinamo defeated Timisoara 86-74. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Timisoara. Ukrainian forward Vyacheslav Bobrov (203-1992) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 11 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) for the winners and Ousmane Drame chipped in 15 points and 11 rebounds. The best for the losing side was Serbian-Portuguese center Sasa Borovnjak (205-1989, college: Penn State, agency: 011 Sports) with 17 points and 6 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Dinamo have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They maintain fourth place with 13-7 record. Timisoara at the other side keeps the sixth position with nine games lost. Dinamo will play against Targu Mures (#10) at home in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Timisoara will play against Galati (#15) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Worth to mention about the upset in a game between Targu Mures (10-10) and Steaua (9-11), which took place in Targu Mures. Higher ranked Targu Mures were outleveled at home by twelfth ranked Steaua 112-83 on Friday. Juwan Gray nailed 30 points and 6 rebounds (went 8 for 8 at the free throw line) for the winning side. Goran Martinic came up with 22 points and 6 assists (perfect behind the arc making all five shots) for Targu Mures in the defeat. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Steaua maintains twelfth place with 9-11 record. Loser Targu Mures keep the eighth position with ten games lost. They share it with Sibiu and Rapid. Steaua will meet at home higher ranked Sibiu (#8) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Targu Mures will play against Dinamo where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.

There were no big surprises in other games of round 21: Targu Jiu was smashed by Rapid on the road 102-80. Voluntari destroyed Valcea on its own court 100-79. Ploiesti CSM was outscored by Sibiu in a road game 110-76.
The most impressive performance of 21th round was 20 points by Sacar Anim of Voluntari.



Targu Mures - Steaua B. 83-112

Worth to mention about the upset in a game between Targu Mures (10-10) and Steaua (9-11), which took place in Targu Mures. Higher ranked Targu Mures were outleveled at home by twelfth ranked Steaua 112-83 on Friday. The game was mostly controlled by Steaua. Targu Mures managed to win fourth quarter 25-20. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Steaua dominated down low during the game scoring 60 of its points in the paint compared to Targu Mures' 36 and made 25-of-33 free shots (75.8 percent) during the game. They outrebounded Targu Mures 36-23 including a 27-14 advantage in defensive rebounds. American forward Juwan Gray (203-1996, college: Towson, agency: Blacktop Management) nailed 30 points and 6 rebounds (went 8 for 8 at the free throw line) for the winning side and his fellow American import forward Dame Adelekun (203-2001, college: Loyola, IL) accounted for 16 points and 6 rebounds. Four Steaua B. players scored in double figures. Montenegrin point guard Goran Martinic (187-1987, agency: 6th Man Basketball Agency) came up with 22 points and 6 assists (perfect behind the arc making all five shots) and American swingman Trey Diggs (198-1999, college: BGSU) added 16 points respectively for Targu Mures in the defeat. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Steaua maintains twelfth place with 9-11 record. Loser Targu Mures keep the eighth position with ten games lost. They share it with Sibiu and Rapid. Steaua will meet at home higher ranked Sibiu (#8) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Targu Mures will play against Dinamo where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.
Top scorers:
Steaua B.: G.Juwan 30+6reb+3ast, A.Dame 16+6reb+1ast, D.Kenny 13+2reb+4ast, D.Lorenzo 13+7reb, V.Alexandru 11+3reb+3ast, A.Alin 9+3reb
Targu Mures: G.Martinic 22+6ast, T.Diggs 16+2reb+3ast, P.Reljic 12+3reb+3ast, S.Santa 8+3reb, M.Mikovic 8+4reb, B.Popa 8+1reb

Rapid - Targu Jiu 102-80

No shocking result in a game when tenth ranked Rapid (10-10) crushed 14th ranked Targu Jiu (1-19) in Bucuresti 102-80 on Saturday. The game was mostly controlled by Rapid. Targu Jiu managed to win fourth quarter 21-19. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Rapid dominated down low during the game scoring 58 of its points in the paint compared to Targu Jiu's 32. It was a great shooting night for Rapid especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 72.7 percentage. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists comparing to just 11 passes made by Targu Jiu's players. Serbian center Nikola Jevtovic (209-1989, agency: 011 Sports) nailed a double-double by scoring 18 points and 10 rebounds for the winning side and American forward Lewis Sullivan (201-1995, college: UAB) accounted for 16 points and 9 rebounds. Four Rapid players scored in double figures. American guard Collin Cooper (188-2001, college: EKU) came up with 25 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line) and the other American import guard Marcus Evans (188-1996, college: VCU, agency: Olsta) added 21 points respectively for Targu Jiu in the defeat. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Rapid moved-up to eighth place, which they share with Sibiu and Targu Mures. Targu Jiu lost their seventh game in a row. Newly promoted team keeps the fourteenth position with 19 games lost. Rapid will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Targu Jiu will play against Craiova (#5) and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Rapid: J.Nikola 18+10reb+1ast, S.Lewis 16+9reb, F.Tudor 15+2ast, N.Markovic 13+6reb+3ast, P.Edward 9+4reb+1ast, H.Trendon 9+1reb+1ast
Targu Jiu: C.Cooper 25+5reb+4ast, M.Evans 21+2reb+2ast, R.Montgomery Jr. 14+7reb, M.Diaby 8+3reb, C.Mihai-Nicolae 5+3reb+2ast, S.Gribinic 5+1reb+1ast

Voluntari - Valcea 100-79

Very expected game when 7th ranked Valcea (10-8) was smashed on the road by second ranked Voluntari (15-4) 100-79 on Saturday. The game was mostly controlled by Voluntari. Valcea managed to win second period 25-19. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Voluntari made 18-of-21 free shots (85.7 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. American swingman Sacar Anim (196-1997, college: Marquette) nailed 20 points for the winning side and his fellow American import guard Kodi Justice (199-1995, college: Arizona St.) accounted for 15 points and 5 assists. Five Voluntari players scored in double figures. The former international point guard Lucas Tohatan (187-1999) came up with 18 points and the former international forward Titus Nicoara (203-1988, agency: Interperformances) added 7 points and 10 rebounds respectively for Valcea in the defeat. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. The victory was the fourth consecutive win for Voluntari. They maintain second place with 15-4 record having just two point less than leader Cluj Napoca. Loser Valcea keeps the seventh position with eight games lost. Voluntari will meet Ploiesti CSM (#13) on the road in the next round which should be another easy win for them. Valcea will play against Brasov (#11) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Voluntari: A.Sacar 20+4reb+2ast, J.Kodi 15+3reb+5ast, M.Mihail 14+6reb, G.Tudor 13+5reb, P.Laszlo 12+5reb+1ast, C.Mike 11+4reb+2ast
Valcea: T.Lucas 18+3reb+3ast, A.Casale 11+3reb+2ast, R.Uta 11+2reb+1ast, E.Lecomte 10+1reb+2ast, T.Harris 9+3reb+2ast, D.Pinckney 8+3reb

Timisoara - Dinamo B. 74-86

The game in Timisoara was also worth to mention about. Fourth ranked Dinamo (13-7) played at the court of 6th ranked Timisoara (11-9). Dinamo defeated Timisoara 86-74. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Timisoara. The game was mostly controlled by Dinamo. Timisoara was better in second period 25-17. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Dinamo dominated on the defensive end, holding Timisoara to just 6 points in first quarter. They made 19-of-25 charity shots (76.0 percent) during the game. Dinamo forced 20 Timisoara turnovers and outrebounded them 39-28 including 25 on the defensive glass. Timisoara was plagued by 24 personal fouls down the stretch. Ukrainian forward Vyacheslav Bobrov (203-1992) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 11 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) for the winners and Guinean-American power forward Ousmane Drame (206-1993, college: Quinnipiac) chipped in 15 points and 11 rebounds. Five Dinamo B. players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was Serbian-Portuguese center Sasa Borovnjak (205-1989, college: Penn State, agency: 011 Sports) with 17 points and 6 rebounds and American point guard Devon Thomas (183-1994, college: Texas Tech) scored 15 points and 5 assists. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Dinamo have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They maintain fourth place with 13-7 record. Timisoara at the other side keeps the sixth position with nine games lost. Dinamo will play against Targu Mures (#10) at home in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Timisoara will play against Galati (#15) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Dinamo B.: B.Vyacheslav 17+11reb+2ast, D.Ousmane 15+11reb+2ast, M.Derrick 14+1reb+3ast, S.Jonathan 10+3reb+2ast, K.Nandor 10+6reb+4ast, V.Radu 10+2reb+3ast
Timisoara: S.Borovnjak 17+6reb+1ast, D.Thomas 15+3reb+5ast, G.Blaj-Voinescu 10+4reb+1ast, B.Vujosevic 9+3reb+5ast, S.Robert 8+1reb+1ast, J.Nesbitt 7+8reb+1ast

Galati - Craiova 74-106

Bottom-ranked Galati is still unable to win any game. This time they could not use their home court advantage losing their 19th consecutive match to fifth ranked Craiova (12-7) 106-74 on Saturday evening. The game without a history. Craiova led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. It was a good game for American point guard Sam Sessoms (182-1999, college: Coppin St.) who led his team to a victory with 18 points and 9 assists. His fellow American import guard Ishmael Leggett (190, college: Pittsburgh) contributed with 22 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. Five Craiova players scored in double figures. Lithuanian forward Martynas Arlauskas (203-2000, college: Gonzaga) answered with 22 points and 7 rebounds and American-Jamaican center Nate Johnson (206-2000, college: SEMO) added 16 points and 6 rebounds in the effort for Galati. Galati's coach Catalin Stefanescu gave up on the game allowing to play eleven players seeing no chance for a win. Craiova maintains fifth place with 12-7 record. Galati at the other side still closes the standings with 19 games lost. Craiova are looking forward to face Targu Jiu (#14) in Rovinari in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Galati will play at home against Timisoara and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Craiova: L.Ishmael 22+7reb+1ast, S.Sam 18+4reb+9ast, R.Kendall 17+5reb+4ast, D.DeAndre 14+7reb+2ast, Z.Tomas 13+5reb+3ast, T.Bogdan 10+2reb+1ast
Galati: M.Arlauskas 22+7reb+2ast, N.Johnson 16+6reb+2ast, M.Jovicic 16+2reb+2ast, P.Ianis 8+1reb, M.Vlaicu 5+1reb, D.Axinte 4+2reb+2ast

Sibiu - Ploiesti CSM 110-76

Rather predictable result when eleventh ranked Sibiu (10-10) rolled over at home 13th ranked Ploiesti CSM (6-13) 110-76 on Sunday. The game was mostly controlled by Sibiu. Ploiesti CSM managed to win fourth quarter 27-24. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Sibiu looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists. American forward Keith Stone (206-1997, college: Miami, FL) nailed 25 points and 5 rebounds for the winning side and guard Andreas Blidaru (183-2006, agency: BIG) accounted for 14 points and 6 assists. Five Sibiu players scored in double figures. Serbian center Veljko Brkic (206-1995) came up with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists and American-Puerto Rican guard Jase Febres (196-1999, college: Texas) added 12 points and 11 rebounds respectively for Ploiesti CSM in the defeat. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Sibiu moved-up to eighth place, which they share with Targu Mures and Rapid. Ploiesti CSM lost their fifth game in a row. They keep the thirteenth position with 13 games lost. Sibiu will meet Steaua (#12) in the next round. Ploiesti CSM will play against the league's second-placed Voluntari where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.
Top scorers:
Sibiu: S.Keith 25+5reb, K.Tavon 18+4reb, S.Anthony 15+2reb+4ast, B.Andreas 14+4reb+6ast, R.MJ 10+5reb+5ast, A.Zetos 8+4reb+4ast
Ploiesti CSM: V.Brkic 21+8reb+4ast, J.Andre 16+2reb+3ast, J.Febres 12+11reb+3ast, R.David-Loan 7+1reb+3ast, A.George 5+2reb+1ast, D.Codrut-Alexander 5+3reb+2ast