Avtodor Russia defeated VEF Latvia in overtime at home, 89-84 (15-20, 21-9, 17-26, 23-21, 13-8).
Top Scorers
Avtodor: Coty Clarke (27 + 10 reb), Branden Frazier (28 + 6 reb), Ian Hummer (13 + 7 reb), Justin Robinson (4 + 7 reb + 9 ast)
VEF: Paul Carter (26 + 6 reb), Mareks Mejeris (16 + 8 reb), Ken Brown (13 + 9 ast)
Story
VEF guard Alex Perez drained a triple to force overtime, but Avtodor got the last laugh in overtime, pulling away 89-84 in the final minute.
Both teams were desperate for a win. Avtodor is chasing Khimki for the #5 seed, while VEF is locked in a bitter fight for the postseason.
The 1st quarter belonged to the visitors. Paul Carter gave VEF a 10-4 lead with two 3-pointers. The Latvians drained a total of four triples in the period and led 20-15 entering the 2nd quarter.
Avtodor wasted little time fighting back. Branden Frazier soloed on an 11-1 run, capped by back-to-back threes, 26-21.
VEF only scored nine points in the period and Avtodor led 36-29 at the end of the first half.
The momentum swung in the opposite direction in the 3rd quarter. With two minutes remaining in the period, Mareks Mejeris gave VEF the lead, 50-49, from deep and the visitors ended the quarter on top, 55-53.
Avtodor built a six-point lead, 72-66, with 1:26 remaining in the 4th. But VEF caught fire, knocking down its final four field goals, including the game-tying triple from Perez with eight seconds on the clock. Justin Robinson missed a chance to win it at the other end, sending the game into overtime.
Overtime
VEF continued to stroke it from deep in the extra period. Brown and Carter connected on back-to-back possessions, putting Riga on top, 84-82.
But the visitors failed to score again, surrendering a 7-0 run to end the game. Frazier gave Avtodor the lead with three free throws, while Coty Clarke sealed the win by going 4-4 at the line down the stretch.
Avtodor improves to 11-7 with the win, one half game behind Khimki. VEF falls to 7-14, tied for 8th place with PARMA and Tsmoki.
Dunk of the Game
Shaq @ShaqInTheBox rocks the rim!@AvtodorSaratov 48 | @vefriga 47 pic.twitter.com/bGrV1COTcN
— VTB United League (@VTBUL) April 22, 2018
Stat
4-23 – Saratov won, despite shooting 17% from deep.
Quotes
Avtodor head coach Evgeny Pashutin:
– I want to congratulate the guys on the win! We knew that VEF was a tough opponent. That’s not just lip service. The game in Riga was decided on the last shot. The Latvians are athletic and boas snipers and big men under the basket who can rebound. VEF added Paul Carter during the season, who hit five triples today. Our defense was the key today, since we weren’t shooting the ball well. VEF was prepared and double-teamed our point guards, taking away the drive to the basket and forcing a stressful finish, which was decided on one possession. All of the guys played good defense. Yes, Riga hit a lot of tough 3-pointers, but that’s what Baltic teams are known for doing, taking 30-40 three-point attempts with a high conversion rate. Clarke, Frazier and Hummer played very well, but I don’t want to single anyone out. Everyone without exception played hard and had a positive impact.
VEF head coach Janis Gailitis:
– It’s always tough to play in Saratov for various reasons. In such a close game, like today, it’s not easy when one team is taking free throws the entire time, while the other only shoots from the perimeter. We probably need a different approach next time. Congratulations to my players. They deserved to win this game. But it’s basketball. That’s how it is sometimes.
Up Next
Avtodor: April 29 away vs. PARMA
VEF: April 26 home vs. Lokomotiv-Kuban
Images of the Game
