Enisey defeated Tsmoki-Minsk on the road, 86-78 (19-22, 26-12, 19-21, 22-23).
Top Scorers
Tsmoki-Minsk: Justin Gray (17+5 ast+4 stl), Antonio Graves (15), Aliaksandr Kudrautsau (12+6 ast), Pavel Ulyanko (10)
Enisey: Suleiman Braimoh (20+8 reb), Vasily Zavoruev (16+5 reb+6 ast), Vladimir Pichkurov (13), Denys Lukashov (10)
Build-Up
The home team has already begun rebuilding, with Djordje Gagic, Dru Joyce and Nemanja Milosevic departing in recent days. The Dragons also parted ways with head coach Igor Grishchuk, bringing in Alexander Krutikov as the new boss.
Nonetheless, the home team started strong, pushing the pace and making stops on defense to win the 1st quarter, 22-19. Aliaksandr Kudrautsau and Justin Gray did most of the damage on offense for Tsmoki.
The 2nd quarter belonged to Enisey’s sharpshooters. Denys Lukashov and Vladimir Pichkurov got the scoring started before passing the torch to Suleiman Braimoh. By halftime, the Siberians had connected on 11 3-pointers and led by double digits, 45-34.
To its credit, Minsk never folded. Tsmoki kept the visitors within striking distance, waiting for an opportunity to slice into the deficit. Zone defense and more efficient offense proved the key as Minsk was able to get within a point, 67-66, midway through the 4th quarter.
Turning Point
Enisey would not be denied a valuable road win. Vasily Zavoruev and Braimoh rallied the troops, helping the visitors to a 5-7 point lead in the final minutes. Minsk tried to push back, but Krasnoyarsk never let the home team truly threaten down the stretch. Despite outscoring Enisey in three quarters, Tsmoki suffers an eight-point defeat. Enisey, meanwhile, has now won four of its last five and is on the verge of clinching a playoff berth.
Stat
17-36 (47%) – the visitors were lethal from downtown. Krasnoyarsk had surpassed its season average (7.9) by halftime and finished with an impressive 17 3-pointers.
Quotes
Tsmoki-Minsk head coach Alexander Krutikov:
– I’ve got mixed feelings about the game. Our opponent was very efficient on offense in the first half. The second half was different. We didn’t lose the rebounding battle and had opportunities to attack on the fast break. But we weren’t able to convert on about five fast breaks when we should have scored points. That’s what we were missing. Overall, the guys had a good attitude, but it’s tough to call today’s outcome a success.
Enisey head coach Oleg Okulov:
– The game was difficult and had a lot of swings, because Tsmoki-Minsk, as is often the case, looked to be aggressive after getting a new coach. They did a lot of things well, but lack of depth made it tough for them to play with consistency. As for my team, the guys were more focused on defense in the second half and more aggressive on offense.
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Up Next
Tsmoki-Minsk: April 2 vs. Parma
Enisey: April 2 vs. Astana
