Zenit defeated PARMA-PARI at home — 91:60 (19:19, 30:12, 21:18, 21:11).
The best scorers:
Zenit: Thomas Heurtel (27 + 6 assists), Caleb Homesley (17 + 7 rebounds)
PARMA-PARI: Justin Roberson (14 + 5 rebounds + 5 assists + 7 steals), Malik Dime (9 + 8 rebounds)
Game progress
The opponents had different situations before face-to-face game. The St. Petersburg team had 6 wins in a row. But the Perm team expected to end the losing streak because the teal lost last 3 games, which seriously affected their chances of getting into the Top 6.
Zenit was the favorite of the game. And the team tried to take the lead already in the start. By tradition, Thomas Heurtel lighted up the hosts. The French guard scored 7 points, but surprisingly did not help Zenit to take the huge lead. The Perm team was able to stop Zenit leader and quickly equalized the game with three-pointers and quick possessions. As a result, the teams ended the first quarter with draw – 19:19.
But already at the start of the second quarter, the hosts took the lead. Sergey Karasev started the St. Petersburg team run and then Heurtel turned on again. While PARMA missed easy shots, the French guard delighted the fans with his threes. By the halftime, Thomas already had 21 points and Zenit led by 18 points – 49:31.
In the third quarter, the guests increased the pace. Fast basketball brought success, but the St. Petersburg team still controlled the game. All PARMA comeback attempts were destroyed by Zenit three-pointers. Before the final quarter, Zenit’s lead became even bigger – 70:49.
The fourth quarter also did not bring intrigue. The St. Petersburg team continued to score from distance, further increasing the lead. By the end, the hosts had 15 three-pointers made, which was their season high. Only 1 shot left for Zenit to reach CSKA high.
Hero
Thomas Heurtel seems to intend to get another MVP award. In this game, the French guard led Zenit from the very first minutes. His actions helped to make a desecive hosts run in the second quarter. As a result, Heurtel made 9 of 11 shots from the game, scored 27 points and got new season high in the VTB League.
Numbers
7 – Zenit has extended the winning streak to 7 games and in a great mood before the game with UNICS.
What’s next
Zenit: road game against UNICS on December 11
PARMA-PARI: home game versus MINSK on December 13
