Antwerp Giants remains in the winning mood. — © GOYVAERTS/GMAX AGENCY
Telenet Giants Antwerp organized a demonstration in the capital on the 14th match day of the BetFirst BNXT League. The Sinjoren won with marked figures (67-93) against Brussels. Immediately the fifth consecutive victory that puts the Giants firmly in the top-3 with 8 out of 12.
Patrick Ceulemans
Via DJ Laster and Justin Kohadja, Brussels had the lead at 8-6. Desonta Bradford took the Sinjoren against his ex-team in tow. The Giants’ U.S. guard scored eight points in a row and quickly propelled his team to a 10-16 lead. Reggie Upshaw picked up rebounds and also scored and was one of the inspirers of Antwerp’s 10-25 bonus. With fast and efficient basketball, and also thanks to Brandon Anderson, Telenet Giants Antwerp prevailed against a slow Brussels. The club from the capital tried to respond via shooter Ferdinand Zylka and a sober but useful Louis Hazard. Zylka with a buzzer-beater bomb caused a 13-25 deficit for the team from Brussels.
Thijs De Ridder also did more than his part in the second slide. In the paint, the young Antwerp promise was very strong and led his team with strong drives to a 19-31 and 22-35 bonus. Yet Brussels did not give up. Ferdinand Zylka kept firing bombs and after 29-39, the team from Brussels was back in the match at 34-41. Captain Jean-Marc Mwema took his responsibility and again guided Antwerp Giants to a safe bonus with three points. Halfway through, that resulted in a 39-53 Antwerp bonus.
Telenet Giants Antwerp wanted to quickly put the game in a final fold in the third quarter. Spencer Butterfield realized his first points, Ivan Marinkovic dunked and with a bomb from Quentin Smout the twenties were a fact after 42-55 at 47-67.
Coach Ivica Skelin was able to rotate quietly and saw the Giants play the game wisely in the final quarter. At 54-84, the thirty-year-old sparkled on the scoreboard and in the final phase it went to a clear 67-93 win.
Brussels-Telenet Giants Antwerp 67-93
Quartz: 13-25, 26-28, 10-23, 18-17
Brussels: Llorente 9, Derover 2, Skipper-Brown 3, Zylka 15, Hazard 10, Laster 14, Tshibangu 7, Camp 5, Kohadja 2
Telenet Giants Antwerp: Anderson 17, Smout 6, Bradford 15, Van Cleemput 2, D’Espallier 0, De Ridder 21, Meeusen 0, Marinkovic 4, Rogiers 6, Butterfield 4, Mwema 8, Upshaw 12
