It was Night of the Hunter as Promitheas Patras overcame Le Mans in Game 1 of the Basketball Champions League play-ins thanks to a career night from Hunter Hale
This game was over. It was done. Hunter Hale had done more than enough to ensure Promitheas Patras would take Game 1 of the Basketball Champions League play-ins over Le Mans. Then it wasn’t, then Hunter Hale went and did it again.
A career night
Prior to Game 1 in Le Mans, Hunter Hale’s best outing in the Basketball Champions League was 13 points. That’s not bad for a bench player but not exactly where you expect to find the game changer either. In a road game in a best of three series, Hale picked the perfect night to have his masterpiece.
The stat line is obviously worth mentioning. Hale had 25 points, when it looked like 22 would be more than enough but we’ll get to that. Throw in 3 assists (it felt like more), 2 rebounds, and 2 steals and this was just dominance from the guard from Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was, in short, the difference in this game and it wasn’t close.
A bad night for a dud
While Hale was delivering his best ever performance in the competition for the visiting Promitheas Patras side, it was the most reliable man for Le Mans that chose the worst night for a bad game.
Le Mans had secured home court with a game to spare in the group phase, thanks in no small part to a perfect shooting night from Matt Lewis in a win over Peristeri. In this one, he started the game missing his first six from the floor before lighting up out of nowhere late. Lewis was essentially ran off the floor for most of the game by Promitheas, with David Hudgins proving the inspiration for Le Mans when they needed it most while Williams Narace had a great game in spite of his team’s struggles.
The way the game ended really distracts from how dreadful Le Mans were for the vast bulk of this game. They were offensively predictable and the D was all too rudimentary at times. Worst of all, their efficiency was simply dire from the off.
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This really should have been over
Promitheas led by as much as 22 points in the second half. I was working commentary for this game and the comeback by Le Mans came as much as a shock to me as anyone else watching. Foul issues for Promitheas certainly played a factor as well as some just bonehead decisions where they weren’t sure whether to keep the foot on the accelerator or hit the brakes.
As it was, the men from Patras got stuck in two minds and that opened the door for what could have been the most unlikely of comebacks. When Lewis nailed the three to cut it to 68-70, I really thought Promitheas only had one way to save a game that should never have been in danger. Turns out, that’s what they thought too.
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Hunter Hale has his moment
Any kind of win for Promitheas Patras would have been enough to cement this as Hunter Hale’s coming out party in the Basketball Champions League. Of course, he wasn’t happy with just that alone. When it was time for someone to stand up and take the ball in his hands, Hale was ready.
The three to move the gap to 5 points so late in the game proved decisive. Promitheas would eventually win by 10 but they should have won by a lot more. It matters not, they got the W and have stolen home court advantage. There was no question who the night belonged to. Take a bow Hunter Hale.
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