Moscow’s CSKA defeated St. Petersburg’s Zenit at home, 80–68 (25–21, 20–15, 18–18, 17–14).
Main Storyline
Melo Trimble’s standout performance allowed CSKA to take the lead early in the game. Already in the first quarter, the Army Men built a double-digit lead—20–9. The St. Petersburg team responded with a series of three-pointers from Markus Howard and Egor Estafiev. However, a full-fledged comeback never materialized. Solid defense, accurate shots from beyond the arc, and baskets by Livio Jean-Charles restored a comfortable lead for the home team. The Muscovites went into halftime with a 9-point lead—45–36.
The Clutch Moment
The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair, with the visitors closing the gap and the home team pulling away. Twice, the St. Petersburg team cut the deficit to 3 and 4 points, but they were unable to get any closer.
The game was ultimately decided in the closing minutes. With three minutes left on the clock, three-pointers by Nikita Kurbanov and Casper Ware gave CSKA a solid lead—75–61—after which the Army Men closed out the victory.
X-Factor
CSKA reaffirmed its status as the league’s best defensive team. In this game, they forced their opponents into 16 turnovers, recorded 12 steals themselves, and allowed just 68 points.
Interesting Facts
CSKA remains the only team that has yet to lose a single game in the current VTB League season. The Red-and-Blues have 8 wins in 8 games.
CSKA’s home winning streak has reached 33 games. The Army Men have not lost at home since February 2025.
CSKA secured its eighth consecutive victory over Zenit.
Markus Howard made his VTB League debut for Zenit. In 24 minutes, the guard scored 17 points and was the highest-scoring and most efficient (18) player on his team.
Press Conference
CSKA Head Coach Andreas Pistiolis: – First of all, I want to thank the fans who came out to support us today. There were so many of them, and they really spurred us on during this game. This is a very important victory for us because Zenit is a good team; they’ve really stepped up their game since acquiring Howard. That’s why this win feels especially significant. What pleases me most of all is the defensive consistency we’ve shown in recent games, and I’ve said more than once that defense is our greatest ally. I can also say that we’ve improved significantly on offense compared to how the team played at the start of the season, but I think we’re still far from perfect. There’s still work to be done here.
Zenit Head Coach Duško Ivanović: – First of all, congratulations to CSKA. Our opponent played better today. We had some chances in this game. However, the first thing we need to understand from this match is that if we keep playing like this, it will be very difficult to beat CSKA. I hope we’ll figure out how to beat an opponent like this.
Top Performers
CSKA: Melo Trimble (19), Livio Jean-Charles (17 + 10 rebounds)
Zenit: Markus Howard (17), Ike Iroegbu (13)
Up Next
CSKA : November 11 at home against Dynamo
Zenit: November 11 at home against Samara.
Highlights:
