Pari NN defeated Avtodor on the road – 77:73 (18:17, 17:23, 16:15, 26:18).
Game progress
The first quarter was equal, but the hosts pulled ahead early in the second quarter. Solid defense, dominance in rebounds and good shooting allowed Avtodor to build a double-digit lead – 30:20. Nizhny Novgorod team managed to take the initiative. The guests scored several key baskets, improved control in the paint, and stepped up defensive intensity. All of this helped to cut the deficit to 5 points by halftime – 35:40.
Key moment
The guests managed to catch up with the opponent in the final quarter. The teams entered the clutch with tie. The key play here was a long-range shot by Norbert Lukacs. After his three-pointer with 19 seconds left, Pari NN’s lead grew to 4 points – 75–71.
The Saratov team tried to get back into the game. But Dusan Beslac miss and a quick run by Pari Nizhny Novgorod secured the win for the hosts
X-Factor
Dmitrii Khvostov had his best game of the season. The guard made 6 of 10 shots (2 of 4 three-pointers), 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and was the top scorer (16 points) and most efficient (19) player on the winning team.
Facts
In this game, Avtodor surpassed 30,000 points scored in the VTB United League. The Saratov team became the 7th team in the tournament’s history to reach this milestone.
Dmitrii Khvostov scored 2,000 points in the VTB League. After today’s game, Pari NN guard has 2,012 points.
Leaders
Avtodor: Dusan Beslac (19), Grigory Motovilov (15 + 6 assists), Igor Volkhin (13 + 8 rebounds)
Pari NN: Dmitrii Khvostov (16), Norbert Lukacs (15), Alexander Khomenko (13), Daniil Klyuchenkov (10 + 5 rebounds), Ilya Karpenkov (10 + 7 rebounds)
What’s next
Avtodor: April 2 at home versus Zenit
Pari NN: April 1 on the road against Uralmash.
