Uralmash defeated Avtodor on the road, 80–75 (19–19, 21–18, 16–20, 24–18).
Main Story
Both teams got off to a fast start. The home team opened the scoring. But for most of the first half, the Ural team held the lead. Although they committed more turnovers (3–7), they more than made up for it with an excellent three-point shooting percentage (53.8%—7 of 13). It was the visitors’ long-range shooting that separated the teams heading into halftime. Javonte Douglas’ three-pointer allowed Uralmash to win the first half 40–37.
The Finish
The visitors made a decisive run midway through the final quarter. Douglas and Danilo Tašić were the key players at that moment. A series of their accurate shots allowed Uralmash to take a double-digit lead for the first time in the game—78–67—with 3 minutes remaining. In the time left, the home team managed to cut into the deficit, but the Saratov squad was never able to catch up to their opponents.
X-Factor
Javonte Douglas had a standout game. The “Factory” forward converted 9 of 13 field goals, grabbed 7 rebounds, and was the game’s top scorer (24 points) and most efficient player (29).
Interesting Facts
The lead changed 12 times. The score was tied on 6 other occasions.
Javonte Douglas got 5 three-pointers in this game, which is the best performance in the current VTB League season.
Press Conference
Avtodor Head Coach Rostislav Vergun:
– We lost, and we’re disappointed. I think, first and foremost, we proved to ourselves that we have every reason to contend for victory in every game. We played against a strong opponent.
I’d probably single out the start of the fourth quarter as the key moment. Even though we didn’t reach our foul limit until the last 30 seconds of the quarter, we let our opponent make such an easy run. That’s primarily the responsibility of the leaders who were on the court. It seems that at that moment, by not playing tough enough, we let our opponent take control of the game. It’s hard to expect to win in serious games.
Uralmash Head Coach Anton Yudin:
– First of all, congratulations to the team on the win. Unfortunately, we’re going through a streak of injuries—which is one of the reasons our play leaves something to be desired. In many instances, we made unnecessarily foolish decisions, leading to far too many turnovers. We’re not generating as many offensive opportunities as we should. We really need to step up our physical play, especially on the boards. I think we’re on the right track. Right now, the most important thing is the win. Once again, congratulations to the team.
Top Performers
Avtodor: Wendell Green (16 points + 6 rebounds), Alexander Evseev (12 points + 6 rebounds)
Uralmash: Javonte Douglas (24 points, 7 rebounds), David Efianayi (22 points, 5 assists), Danilo Tašić (11 points)
Up next
Avtodor: October 4, away against Yenisey
Uralmash: October 7, away against CSKA.
