Liga Nationala Round 22 (Regular Season): Oradea keep a leadership position

There will be only one (last) round of the Regular Season in Liga Nationala. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The game had a very big importance for second-ranked Oradea as it allowed them to take a leadership position. Oradea defeated 3rd ranked Pitesti at home 97-83. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Pitesti. The hosts were tied at the half but managed to speed up in last two quarters eventually winning the game. Oradea looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists. Dutch power forward Emmanuel Nzekwesi (203-1997, college: ORU) scored 18 points and 9 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and Mali-French Bandja Sy (204-1990, college: NM State) chipped in 15 points and 7 rebounds during the contest. At the losing side American forward Kendall Lewis (203, college: Illinois St.) responded with 21 points and 5 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. As mentioned above they are alone now at the top position. Pitesti at the other side dropped to the fourth place with seven games lost. They share the position with Craiova. Pitesti will play next round against Valcea trying to get back on the winning streak. Oradea will try to continue on its current victory against eleventh ranked Brasov on the road.
Thirteenth-ranked Ploiesti CSM (6-14) gave a tough game to second ranked Voluntari (16-4). The visitors from Voluntari managed to secure only three-point victory 97-94. However their fans expected much easier game. American guard Kodi Justice (199-1995, college: Arizona St.) notched 17 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the effort and Solomon Young supported him with 12 points and 8 rebounds. Even 20 points and 5 rebounds by Serbian center Veljko Brkic (206-1995) did not help to save the game for Ploiesti CSM. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. Voluntari have an impressive five-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 16-4 record having just two point less than leader Cluj Napoca. Ploiesti CSM lost sixth consecutive game. They keep the thirteenth place with 14 games lost. Voluntari will play against Brasov (#11) on the road in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Ploiesti CSM will play against Steaua in Bucuresti and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Bottom-ranked Galati (0-20) is still winless. This time they could not use their home court advantage losing their 20th consecutive match to sixth ranked Timisoara (12-9) 87-75 on Friday evening. Bogic Vujosevic fired 27 points for the winners. Mihnea Vlaicu produced 18 points for lost side. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Timisoara maintains sixth position with 12-9 record. Loser Galati still closes the standings with 20 games lost. Timisoara will meet at home Targu Jiu (#14) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Galati will play against Targu Mures and hopes to get finally their first victory.

There were no shocking results in the other games in round 22: Targu Mures lost to Dinamo on the opponent's court 88-103. Targu Jiu was outscored by Craiova in a home game 65-101. Brasov recorded a loss to Valcea on the road 94-85. Steaua was defeated by Sibiu on its own court 75-80.
The most impressive stats of the last round was 22 points and 10 rebounds by Juwan Gray of Steaua B..



Dinamo B. - Targu Mures 103-88

Very expected game in Bucuresti where 10th ranked Targu Mures (10-11) were defeated by fourth ranked Dinamo (14-7) 103-88 on Monday. Dinamo dominated down low during the game scoring 70 of its points in the paint compared to Targu Mures' 40. They outrebounded Targu Mures 35-24 including 28 on the defensive glass. Dinamo looked well-organized offensively handing out 27 assists. American guard Derrick Marks (191-1993, college: Boise St., agency: Players Group) fired 19 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) for the winners. The former international Nandor Kuti (196-1997) chipped in 15 points and 6 assists. Dinamo B.'s coach Zydrunas Urbonas used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. American point guard Michaelyn Scott (182-1993, college: Idaho, agency: Interperformances) produced 24 points and 6 assists (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field) and Serbian point guard Pavle Reljic (193-1993) added 15 points and 6 assists respectively for lost side. Five Dinamo and four Targu Mures players scored in double figures. Dinamo have an impressive seven-game winning streak. They moved-up to third place. Targu Mures lost third consecutive game. They keep the tenth position with 11 games lost. Dinamo will meet Sibiu (#8) on the road in the next round where they are favorite. Targu Mures will play against Galati and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Targu Mures: M.Scott 24+6ast, T.Diggs 21+3reb+1ast, P.Reljic 15+4reb+6ast, S.Santa 12+6reb, B.Popa 8+4reb, G.Martinic 8+2reb+7ast
Dinamo B.: M.Derrick 19+7reb+6ast, D.Ousmane 16+7reb+1ast, B.Viacheslav 15+7reb+2ast, K.Nandor 15+4reb+6ast, L.Marcus 12+2ast, G.Stefan 12+5reb+3ast

Ploiesti CSM - Voluntari 94-97

Thirteenth-ranked Ploiesti CSM (6-14) gave a tough game to second ranked Voluntari (16-4). The visitors from Voluntari managed to secure only three-point victory 97-94. However their fans expected much easier game. The guests were already 11 points ahead after 3 quarters before a 33-25 Ploiesti CSM's run in the last quarter cut the lead to 97-94 at the end of the game. American guard Kodi Justice (199-1995, college: Arizona St.) notched 17 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the effort and the other American import center Solomon Young (203-1998, college: Iowa St., agency: Octagon Europe) supported him with 12 points and 8 rebounds. Five Voluntari players scored in double figures. Even 20 points and 5 rebounds by Serbian center Veljko Brkic (206-1995) did not help to save the game for Ploiesti CSM. American-Slovakian guard Andre Jones (191-1990, college: Winthrop) added 20 points for lost side. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. Voluntari have an impressive five-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 16-4 record having just two point less than leader Cluj Napoca. Ploiesti CSM lost sixth consecutive game. They keep the thirteenth place with 14 games lost. Voluntari will play against Brasov (#11) on the road in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Ploiesti CSM will play against Steaua in Bucuresti and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Ploiesti CSM: V.Brkic 20+5reb+2ast, J.Andre 20+3ast, D.Codrut-Alexander 18+2reb+2ast, K.Cooper 8+5reb+3ast, D.Brooks 8+7reb, J.Febres 6+3reb+1ast
Voluntari: J.Kodi 17+5reb+5ast, A.Sacar 13+5reb+2ast, C.Mike 12+2reb+4ast, Y.Solomon 12+8reb+2ast, W.Giordan 11+2ast, S.Lee 8+2ast

Galati - Timisoara 75-87

Bottom-ranked Galati (0-20) is still winless. This time they could not use their home court advantage losing their 20th consecutive match to sixth ranked Timisoara (12-9) 87-75 on Friday evening. The guests trailed by 6 points at the halftime before their 45-27 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. Timisoara made 18-of-21 free shots (85.7 percent) during the game. Serbian-Austrian guard Bogic Vujosevic (190-1992) fired 27 points for the winners. American Jalen Nesbitt (198-1993, college: UNF) chipped in a double-double by scoring 11 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. Guard Mihnea Vlaicu (178-2006, agency: One Motive Sports) produced 18 points and Lithuanian forward Martynas Arlauskas (203-2000, college: Gonzaga) added 13 points respectively for lost side. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Timisoara maintains sixth position with 12-9 record. Loser Galati still closes the standings with 20 games lost. Timisoara will meet at home Targu Jiu (#14) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Galati will play against Targu Mures and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Galati: M.Vlaicu 18+3reb+2ast, M.Arlauskas 13+4reb+2ast, M.Jovicic 12+6reb+1ast, D.Axinte 11+2reb+1ast, N.Ciuca 7+3reb, S.Robert 7+6reb+2ast
Timisoara: V.Bogic 27+2reb+3ast, R.Schipor 12+2reb+1ast, T.Devon 12+3reb+2ast, N.Jalen 11+11reb+6ast, M.Adam 10+2reb+3ast, L.Laszlo 7+9reb+1ast

Oradea - Pitesti 97-83

The game had a very big importance for second-ranked Oradea as it allowed them to take a leadership position. Oradea defeated 3rd ranked Pitesti at home 97-83. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Pitesti. The hosts were tied at the half but managed to speed up in last two quarters eventually winning the game. Oradea looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists. Dutch power forward Emmanuel Nzekwesi (203-1997, college: ORU) scored 18 points and 9 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and Mali-French Bandja Sy (204-1990, college: NM State) chipped in 15 points and 7 rebounds during the contest. Four Oradea players scored in double figures. At the losing side American forward Kendall Lewis (203, college: Illinois St.) responded with 21 points and 5 rebounds and his fellow American import guard Marcus Thornton (193-1993, college: William & Mary) scored 17 points and 6 assists. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. As mentioned above they are alone now at the top position. Pitesti at the other side dropped to the fourth place with seven games lost. They share the position with Craiova. Pitesti will play next round against Valcea trying to get back on the winning streak. Oradea will try to continue on its current victory against eleventh ranked Brasov on the road.
Top scorers:
Pitesti: K.Lewis 21+5reb+1ast, M.Thornton 17+3reb+6ast, T.Somacescu 15+1reb+2ast, N.Vanel 8+4reb+1ast, D.Underwood 7+5reb+2ast, C.Baciu 7+6reb+4ast
Oradea: N.Emmanuel 18+9reb+3ast, S.Bandja 15+7reb+2ast, B.Thomas 14+6reb+2ast, R.Kris 14+5ast, N.Nicolae-Bogdan 9+5reb+5ast, N.Luca 9

Targu Jiu - Craiova 65-101

Very predictable result in Rovinari where fifth ranked Craiova (13-7) smashed 14th ranked Targu Jiu (1-20) 101-65 on Saturday. The guests trailed by 9 points after first quarter, but they stormed back and won the game by 36 points. Craiova dominated on the defensive end, holding Targu Jiu to just 6 points in fourth quarter. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists comparing to just 7 passes made by Targu Jiu's players. Americans were the main players on the court. Guard Ishmael Leggett (190, college: Pittsburgh) fired 17 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals for the winners. point guard Sam Sessoms (182-1999, college: Coppin St.) chipped in 19 points and 8 assists. Five Craiova players scored in double figures. Forward Rob Montgomery Jr (198-1997, college: CMU) produced a double-double by scoring 13 points and 11 rebounds and guard Collin Cooper (188-2001, college: EKU) added 19 points respectively for lost side. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Craiova moved-up to fourth place, which they share with Pitesti. Targu Jiu lost eighth consecutive game. Newly promoted team keeps the fourteenth position with 20 games lost. Craiova will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Targu Jiu will play against Timisoara (#6) and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Targu Jiu: C.Cooper 19+1reb+1ast, L.Djonkam 14+6reb+1ast, R.Montgomery Jr. 13+11reb+2ast, L.Carstea 8+4reb+2ast, S.Gribinic 4+5reb+1ast, B.Alexandru 3
Craiova: S.Sam 19+4reb+8ast, R.Kendall 19+6reb+4ast, L.Ishmael 17+8reb+7ast, T.Bogdan 12+1reb, N.Vlad 11+1reb, S.Kentwan 10+4reb

Valcea - Brasov 94-85

Not a big story in a game in Ramnicu Valcea where 11th ranked Brasov (9-10) was defeated by seventh ranked Valcea (11-8) 94-85 on Saturday. The hosts trailed by 7 points at the halftime before their 49-33 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. Valcea outrebounded Brasov 43-26 including 30 on the defensive glass. Valcea looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. American guard Donovan Ivory (198-2001, college: Southern Miss) fired 14 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners. The other American import forward DeAndre Pinckney (203-2000, college: Southern Miss) chipped in 20 points and 6 rebounds. Canadian point guard Munis Tutu (183-1996, college: Carleton, agency: Inception Sports) produced 13 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists and the former international forward Mihai Maciuca (193-2000, agency: One Motive Sports) added 13 points respectively for lost side. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Valcea maintains seventh position with 11-8 record. Loser Brasov keeps the eleventh place with ten games lost. Valcea will meet higher ranked Pitesti (#5) on the road in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Brasov will play against the league's leader Oradea (#1) having rather not much hope for a victory.
Top scorers:
Brasov: T.Hankerson 16+1reb+1ast, M.Tutu 13+7reb+8ast, M.Maciuca 13+4reb+1ast, T.Johnson 11+4reb+1ast, D.Nikolic 11+4reb+1ast, O.Dragushanckie 8+3reb+3ast
Valcea: P.DeAndre 20+6reb+1ast, L.Emmanuel 16+2reb+4ast, I.Donovan 14+9reb+5ast, G.Kenny 13+7reb, U.Rares 12+5reb+4ast, L.Tohatan 11+1reb+8ast

Steaua B. - Sibiu 75-80

Everything went according to plan in Bucuresti where eighth ranked Sibiu (11-10) beat 12th ranked Steaua (9-12) 80-75 on Saturday. Steaua trailed by 11 points after 3 quarters before a 24-18 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 75-80 at the end of the game. Americans were the main players on the court. Guard MJ Randolph (193-1999, college: FAMU) fired 22 points and 5 assists for the winners. Forward Monyea Pratt (196-1985, college: Stillman) chipped in 7 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Randolph is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. Forward Juwan Gray (203-1996, college: Towson, agency: Blacktop Management) produced a double-double by scoring 22 points and 10 rebounds and point guard Kenny Dye (183-2000, college: Queens, NC) added 15 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists respectively for lost side. Four Steaua players scored in double figures. Sibiu have a solid three-game winning streak. They maintain eighth position with 11-10 record. Loser Steaua B. keeps the twelfth place with 12 games lost. Sibiu will meet at home higher ranked Dinamo (#3) in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Steaua will play against Ploiesti CSM (#13) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Steaua B.: J.Gray 22+10reb+2ast, K.Dye 15+5reb+6ast, S.Albert-Mark 10+3reb+1ast, D.Adelekun 10+9reb+2ast, M.Serban-Mihai 7+1reb+2ast, L.Diaconescu 5+2reb
Sibiu: R.MJ 22+3reb+5ast, S.Keith 15+4reb, K.Tavon 13+1ast, B.Andreas 7+1reb+1ast, P.Monyea 7+8reb+5ast, R.Eduard 6+2reb