Pari Nizhny Novgorod trailed by 9 points a minute before the end, but got the 14th win of the season at the end — 82:80 (22:19, 19:21, 19:24, 22:16).
Game progress
2 direct competitors played for the fourth place – Lokomotiv Kuban with 14 wins and Pari Nizhny Novgorod with 13. Loko had a 4-game winning streak, and in the last 2 games beat Zenit and UNICS.
And yet the start of the game was difficult for the hosts. Evgenii Baburin started the three-point shootout and the first quarter ended with the guests lead – 22:19. In the second quarter, Nizhny continued to hold the initiative due to shooters actions: 9 points in a row allowed the guests to get a double-digit lead – 41:30.
However, even before the halftime, the hosts managed to get back into the game – the Volga team cannot stop Anton Kvitkovskikh and Jaylen Barford. After a 10:0 run and Barford and-one, Loko trailed by 1 point – 41:40. Zakhar Vedishchev and DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell made shots led helped Loko to take the lead in the third quarter – 64:60 before the fourth quarter.
Key moment
For most of the fourth 10 minutes, Loko led – even 68 seconds before the end, the home team advantage was 9 points. However, the ending became discouraging for Loko fans. With 2 steals by Evgenii Baburin and Nizhny Novgorod made shots, the difference was reduced to 3 points, and a few seconds later Aleksandr Gankevich made a rebound after his own free-throw shot miss and passed it to Jermaine Love – drive into the paint and 80:80!
Loko still had a chance to win the game or at least make it to overtime. Jaylen Barford, in the last possession, held the bass as long as possible in order not to give the opponent a chance to score, made a drive only 7 seconds before the end. Nizhny Novgorod had enough time. Khvostov and Baburin doubled team on Barford, stole the ball and rushed in the fastbreak and Maksim Salash made a buzzer-beater lay up. 82:80 – Pari NN beats Loko for the third time this season, equalises with the Krasnodar team in wins and bypasses in the stanidngs.
Key factor
Evgenii Baburin, the only All-Star game 2023 player from Pari Nizhny Novgorod, was unstoppable today. His 6 three-pointers are the second best in the United League this season. But the main contribution was made in the last minutes of the game – 2 steals allowed the guests to turn the game around. And Dmitriy Khvostov steal can also be at least half recorded to Nizhny Novgorod captain.
Fact
Until today, Lokomotiv Kuban remained the only team of Group A that did not lose in the second stage of the regular season.
Leaders
Lokomotiv Kuban: Jaylen Barford (18 + 7 assists), Andrey Martyuk (14), DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell (11), Chris Horton (6 + 10 rebounds)
Pari Nizhny Novgorod: Evgenii Baburin (18 + 5 assists + 3 steals), Dmitriy Khvostov (15 + 8 gears), Maxim Salash (13)
Next games
Lokomotiv Kuban: home game versus CSKA on February 10
Pari Nizhny Novgorod: home game against Zenit on February 13
