Avtodor defeated Samara in the end and won the 9th game of the season — 93:83 (30:25, 24:18, 20:20, 19:20).
Game progress
Avtodor finished the first stage of the regular season with 4 losses in a row. The team management fired Darko Russo. Branislav Vicentic became the head coach and supposed to check the team against Samara.
The American legionnaires of the teams played solo in the offensive basketball from the very start. Malik Newman and Marcos Knight scored 10 points each in the first quarter. But at the same time, teams played equal. The hosts managed to change the situation and the Saratov team began to regularly create opportunities for their bigmen. During almost the entire second quarter, Avtodor increased the lead and at some point the difference between the teams reached 19 points – 49:30.
But at the end of the first half, the guests had a three-pointers series and returned the intrigue – 43:54. Moreover, Samara comeback continued after the halftime. Marcos Knight was on fire in the middle of the third quarter and helped to reduce the score difference 4 points – 58:62.
Key moment
The game result decided only at the end. After Scott Machado free-throws, Avtodor’s lead reached 8 points in a little over two minutes before the end – 89:81. Samara has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to comeback in this game, but the team did not have enough strength. At the key moment, Marcos Knight and Anton Kardanakhishvili missed long-range shots. Finally all questions were removed by Malik Newman two-pointer – 91:81.
Key factor
Nikita Mikhailovskii declined. But the change of the head coach seems to have managed to cheer up the guard. For the first time since mid-December, Mikhailovskii made a double-digit performance. He scored 12 points.
Fact
The new Avtodor head coach Branislav Vicentic managed to end the team’s losing streak in the first game already. The Saratov team increases the intrigue in the fight for the playoffs and now separated from the 8th placed Samara by only 1 win.
Leaders
Avtodor: Malik Newman (25 + 6 rebounds), Scott Machado (17 + 5 rebounds), Nikita Mikhailovsky (12)
Samara: Marcos Knight (30), Jordan Theodore (16 + 6 assists), James Ennis (13 + 8 rebounds)
Next game
Avtodor: road game against Enisey on February 8
Samara: home game versus PARMA-PARI on February 3
