Pari Nizhny Novgorod defeated Astana on the road – 84:82 OT (26:16, 20:22, 17:20, 17:22, 4:2).

Game progress
The hosts had a strong start with 5:0 lead, but then allowed the opponent to score 14 points while committing 5 team fouls. T.J. Starks returned to Astana lineup after 5 months of recovery and successfully entered the game from the bench, but could not prevent the guests from finishing the first quarter with a double-digit lead (26:16).

Ilya Karpenkov scored 7 points in 1.5 minutes and returned to the bench with his team leading by 17. Nevertheless, the hosts managed to shift the game balance and won the quarter.

Astana continued to cut the deficit after the break. The Kazakh team made 53.3% (8 of 15) of three-pointers. Pari NN advantage was reduced to 5 points before fourth quarter.

Key moment
The hosts started the final quarter with a 7-0 run and took the lead for the first time since the second minute of the game. Astana continued to make three-pointers and had a 3-point lead in the final minute of the regulation. The guests weren’t able to score any points from 3 attempts in single possession, but had a chance to score 3 free-throw shots. Matic Rebec made 2 of 3 and made it difficult for his team. Pari NN full-court pressure forced Astana to lose the ball, and a foul by Starks on the inbound from the sideline allowed Dmitrii Khvostov to tie the game and put it into overtime.

The extra 5 minutes were tense with minimal results – 4:2 with Pari NN win.

X-factor
Pari NN managed to gain an early advantage with a 14-0 run in the first quarter, forcing the hosts to catch-up for most of the game.
A high number of turnovers (16-6) also played against Astana.

Facts
T.J. Starks set new season-high 23 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists.
Pari Nizhny Novgorod won the season series (4-0). The rivalry history is 24:5.

Leaders
Astana: T.J. Starks (23), Grigory Motovilov (19 + 5 assists), Daniel Utomi (14 + 8 rebounds), Danila Pokhodiaev (11 + 9 rebounds).
Pari Nizhny Novgorod: Nemanja Djurisic (19 + 6 rebounds), Ilya Karpenkov (15 + 7 rebounds), Alexander Khomenko (15 + 3 steals), Matic Rebec (11 + 5 rebounds + 3 steals).

What’s next
Astana: March 8 at home versus Uralmash.
Pari Nizhny Novgorod: March 7 at home against Enisey.