CSKA defeated MBA-MAI at home – 109:108 OT (29:27, 32:23, 19:18, 14:26, 15:14).
Game progress
The final Moscow derby of the season kicked off with an offensive showcase. Both teams fell just short of 30 points in the first quarter. The guests focused on shooting three-pointers and made 5 of 9 long-range shots.
MBA-MAI was unable to adjust defensively in the second quarter, and the three-pointers became less effective. A second warning sign was 5 turnovers, signaling difficulties with ball movement. The hosts, on the other hand, only picked up momentum; 32 points allowed to head into halftime with an 11-point lead.
In the second half, the pace slowed down, fouls and turnovers increased. The guests mounted a comeback only in the final quarter, but managed to cut a 13-point deficit and tied the score with 2.5 minutes remaining. Melo Trimble made 1 of 2 free throws late in game, committed a foul that allowed Maksim Lichutin to tie the game again with 6 seconds left, and then missed the game-winning shot.
Key moment
CSKA’s leader redeemed himself in overtime, scoring the decisive 2 points in the final seconds. The loss has made the guests fight for 6th place in the regular season as difficult as possible.
X-Factor
23 turnovers matched MBA-MAI’s season-worst. CSKA had 11.
Facts
Antonius Cleveland made 100 three-pointers in the VTB League.
Viacheslav Zaitsev scored 2,500 points in the League.
The clash between the Moscow teams ended in CSKA overtime win for the second time this season; last time, the rivals also scored over 100 points (109-106).
This is CSKA’s 10th 100-point game of the season and MBA-MAI’s 3rd.
CSKA swept the season series 4-0.
Leaders
CSKA: Melo Trimble (27 points, 7 assists, 4 steals), Livio Jean-Charles (17), Samson Ruzhentsev (14 points, 5 rebounds), Luka Mitrovic (13), Antonius Cleveland (11)
MBA-MAI: Vladislav Trushkin (21), Andrey Zubkov (18 + 6 rebounds + 5 turnovers), Pavel Savkov (16 + 6 assists), Viacheslav Zaitsev (12), Maksim Barashkov (12 points + 8 rebounds)
What’s next
CSKA: April 22 on the road against Zenit
MBA-MAI: April 22 at home versus Samara.
