Uralmash defeated Zenit on the road and leads series 1:0 – 85:78 (25:22, 14:22, 27:10, 19:24).
Game porgress
Andre Roberson started the game with steal and block, signaling the hosts intent to play aggressive defense. Anton Yudin was forced to call a timeout as early as the 3rd minute. The break worked. The Ural team managed to get back into the game after an early 7-point deficit and take the lead. By the end of the first quarter, Uralmash had made 5 of 7 three-pointers.
Ismael Bako, Andrei Martiuk and Roberson became the key players for Zenit. In the first half, the trio accounted for 28 of team’s 44 points, which allowed to win the second quarter and head into halftime with a 5-point lead.
Octavius Ellis also stood out. After the break, Garrett Nevels stepped up, scoring 12 points in 5 minutes. The third quarter proved critical for the hosts, who lost it by a 17-point difference and made task as difficult as possible heading into the final quarter.
Key moment
Zenit mounted a comeback in the final quarter, primarily due to offensive rebounds that compensated for their low shooting efficiency. The St. Petersburg team managed to cut deficit to a single point with 2 minutes.
Xavier Moon’s turnover at the start of possession and 16 seconds left became decisive and allowed Uralmash to pull off an upset on the road.
X-Factor
Uralmash made 11 of 19 three-pointers (57.9%). The game top scorer Garrett Nevels (27 points) made 4 of 4 long-range shots.
Facts
Ismael Bako recorded his best scoring game for Zenit and his first double-double—17 points and 10 rebounds.
Timofei Gerasimov scored 500 field-goals in his VTB League career.
Uralmash broke its tradition of facing Zenit in the playoffs. In the teams’ only series in 2024, the opponents each won all their home games (2-3).
Zenit outrebounded the opponent in offensive glass 20-10, but that wasn’t enough to compensate for their lack of accuracy (41.2% – 53.6% field-goals made).
Leaders
Zenit: Ismael Bako (17 points + 9 rebounds), Georgy Zhbanov (13), Andrei Martiuk (12), Johnny Juzang (10)
Uralmash: Garrett Nevels (27), Octavius Ellis (16 + 6 rebounds), Hayden Dalton (14 + 6 rebounds)
What’s next
April 28 in St. Petersburg.
