Vladivostok’s Dynamo defeated Saratov’s Avtodor at home, 98–73 (21–12, 30–14, 27–22, 20–25).
Main Story
The opening minutes of the game were closely contested. Both teams mostly opted for positional offense, but struggled to convert their shots. The Saratov team missed every three-point attempt in the opening quarter, while the hosts were able to take the lead thanks to their accurate three-point shooting. They managed to solidify their lead thanks to successful fast breaks. In the second quarter, Jalen Blackmon stepped up, scoring 19 points. The Primorye team completely controlled the flow of the game. They recorded 13 assists and played solid defense, winning the first half 51–26.
After a long break, the Volga team got their offense back on track, but they were unable to close the gap. The Avtodor players were unable to mount an effective defensive response to Dynamo’s potent offense. The home team secured the victory, which marked their first VTB League win on their home court.
X-Factor
The Primorye team shot with high accuracy from all ranges. Sergei Kozin’s squad made 58% of their 2-point shots (21 of 36) and 48% of their 3-pointers (14 of 29).
Interesting Facts
The teams had previously faced off in the final of the Rodionov preseason tournament. Dynamo emerged victorious, 94–88.
Dynamo secured its first home win in the VTB League.
Press Conference
Dynamo Head Coach Sergei Kozin: – First and foremost, I want to thank our fans. They gave us great support today. I hope they enjoyed the exciting, high-scoring basketball we put on display.
Unfortunately, we faltered a bit at the end of the game. We didn’t manage to score 100 points, even though we had the chance. But we have to keep in mind that we have another home game in just two days, so it was important to pace ourselves wisely.
Avtodor Head Coach Rostislav Vergun: – Congratulations to our opponent on the victory. Dynamo deserved to win today.
At this point, if we assess the situation objectively, our opponent’s skill level proved to be higher than ours. That said, I have no complaints about the guys’ dedication. Everyone tried their best and fought hard, but we need to understand that no one is going to score for us or defend for us.
That’s why we need to find our own path and discover ways to compete against opponents of this caliber. The level of the VTB United League is very high, and, as experience shows, it’s not easy to do that.
Top Performers
Dynamo: Daquan Smith (23 points, 5 assists), Jalen Blackmon (23), Maxim Lichutin (14)
Avtodor: Brandon Huffman (13 points, 6 rebounds), Daniil Kosko (11), Vitalius Pranauskis (10)
Up Next
Dynamo: October 30 at home against Zenit
Avtodor: November 6 at home against UNICS.
