Enisey defeated Avtodor at home, 97-92 (21-24, 18-24, 25-23, 33-21).
Top Scorers
Enisey: Tony Taylor (22+6 ast), Suleiman Braimoh (22+7 reb), Anthony Hilliard (19), Frank Elegar (12+11+3 stl+3 blk)
Avtodor: Nick Minnerath (37+5 reb), Vince Hunter (18+11 reb), Brendan Frazier (11+8 ast)
Build-Up
VEF’s loss to Lokomotiv-Kuban gave Enisey the 6-seed entering the postseason. The visitors, on the other hand, needed a win to stay alive in the playoff race.
Needing to play desperate, Avtodor staked a first-half lead behind its high-powered offense and a dominant Nick Minnerath. The American big man was unstoppable all night long, scoring 20 of his career-high 37 points in the opening 20 minutes. Entering the break, Saratov enjoyed a 48-39 advantage.
Saratov remained in control during the 3rd quarter, enjoying a seven-point edge at the end of the period. But the 4th quarter belonged to Enisey. Krasnoyarsk was able to tighten the screws on defense, while Anthony Hilliard and Suleiman Braimoh got into the lane at will. With three and a half minutes to go, Enisey had engineered a 17-point turnaround, leading 88-78.
Turning Point
To Avtodor’s credit, the visitors never quit. Twice, Saratov got within two and three points, respectively. But Josh Adams missed a huge 3-point attempt and Tony Taylor knocked down two free throws at the other end. Enisey stretched the lead to six, 97-91, with eight seconds on the clock, sealing the win.
Avtodor is now eliminated from the playoff hunt, giving Astana the 8th and final spot in the postseason.
Stats
37 – Nick Minnerath scored a personal high 37 points and moved into 1st place in the VTB United League scoring race.
21 – Frank Elegar put up another double-double (12 points and 11 rebounds). He’s now recorded 21 double-doubles in the VTB United League, moving ahead of Ivan Maras into 1st place all-time.
Also worth noting: Elegar finished with a 31 efficiency rating, shooting 2-2 from the field, 8-8 from the line along with three assists, three steals, and three blocks.
Video
Enisey vs Avtodor one minute highlights 📹 pic.twitter.com/VSElJg133h
— VTB United League (@VTBUL) April 16, 2017
Quotes
Enisey head coach Oleg Okulov:
– Avtodor is a good opponent and quite tough to play against. Saratov plays fast, aggressive basketball. We tried to stick to our game plan in the 1st quarter, but our teamwork broke down in the 2nd quarter and let our opponent gain confidence. We made the necessary adjustments at halftime, which helped us win.
Avtodor head coach Vladimir Antsiferov:
– We looked good at the start of the game since we were geared up to be aggressive on defense and offense. But then fatigue set in, we let Enisey hit three straight 3-pointers and that decided the outcome of the game.
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Up Next
Enisey: April 23 vs. Khimki
Avtodor: April 20 at Zenit
