ANTON Bykov showed the way as Kazakhstan routed Sri Lanka, 107-37, on Monday at Khalifa Sport City in Manama to clinch a spot in the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup.
The Kazakh national team veteran was near flawless on the court, going 10-of-11 from the field to finish with 21 points, seven rebounds, three steals, and two assists in just 15 minutes of play as the Kazakhs swept their assignment in the Bahrain bubble.
Kazakhstan stayed at the top of Group F with a 4-1 record, ahead of idle Jordan (2-0), Palestine (2-2), and cellar-dweller Sri Lanka (0-5).
The Steppen Wolves wasted little time seizing control of the game with an emphatic 37-2 first quarter assault as they hardly broke sweat in this affair and shot 61 percent from the field and 12-of-25 shooting from deep, a blistering 48-percent.
Askar Maidekin added 18 points, six boards, four steals, and three dimes, Shaim Kuanov made the most of the extended garbage time with his 10 points, four assists, and four rebounds, and Ruslan Aitkali had 10 points, four boards, three dimes, and two steals.
Naturalized guard Anthony Clemmons scored nine points and Maxim Marchuk had nine points, three assists, three steals, and two boards in the wire-to-wire win.
No player from Sri Lanka cracked double digits in scoring, with Don Deenu Perera Mahamuhandiramge leading his side with nine points and four rebounds.