The 28-year-old fired on all cylinders as he led his side to a decisive victory.
Guzman pulled off complete performance to inspire Cluj’s record win at Trento
Article
3 Mins read
D.J. Seeley may have stolen the limelight with his game-high 21 points on the road at Dolomiti Energia Trento, but it was the energy transmitted by an extraordinary Karel Guzman that inspired U-BT Cluj-Napoca to a huge 60-98 win in Italy on Wednesday night.
The Cluj forward dominated on both ends, contributing to both defense and offense in the almost 27 minutes that he stayed on the floor. Guzman proved to be Cluj’s Swiss knife, having finished the game with a double-double of 14 points and a season-high 12 rebounds. Moreover, he registered 5 assists, 3 steals and 0 turnovers for a game-high PIR of 34.
“We are so happy, because we did what we had to do in the game,” a joyful Guzman said in the post-game flash interview. “We played tough on defense and offense. We controlled the transition offense. Now, we need to keep it like this and continue every day.”
A strong start by Cluj
Cluj got off to a brilliant start and outscored Trento 14-34 in the first quarter. The hosts managed to bounce back and brought the game within 33-45 heading into halftime after holding the guests to 11 points in the second quarter. Yet, Cluj returned to the court in style in the second half and went on a 0-16 run in the third quarter to practically put the game to bed at Il T Quotidiano Arena.
“I’m extremely proud of the way we approached the game,” Cluj head coach Mihai Silvasan stated after the contest. “And I’m extremely proud of the way we came out after halftime when mentally we were not in the best shape after their comeback in the second quarter.”
A memorable night for Cluj
This was a record-breaking night for Cluj, as it registered its biggest victory in the BKT EuroCup by beating Trento by as many as 38 points. In fact, prior to Wednesday’s game, Cluj’s most comfortable win in the competition came last season in its first year in the EuroCup, when it beat Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana 94-76 at home. It also has to be noted that Silvasan’s side recorded an eye-popping 49 rebounds, which is the highest mark Cluj has ever registered in the EuroCup.
“I’m really happy about the hustle that we showed,” Silvasan noted during the post-game press conference. “We almost got 50 rebounds. That’s a huge number for a EuroCup game.”
Cluj sits second in the Group B standings behind leader Dreamland Gran Canaria after improving its record to an impressive 6-1. Even more impressive is the fact that Cluj won just five games last season, so it has already bettered that mark.
Cluj and Gran Canaria will face each other next week in a huge matchup that will take place on Tuesday at BTarena. If Cluj manages to replicate Wednesday night’s performance, and Guzman plays as he did at Trento, Coach Silvasan’s side could have what it takes to potentially become the first team to beat the Spanish side this season.