Tsmoki-Minsk defeated Avtodor Saratov at home, 89-83 (17-18, 17-25, 30-20, 25-20).
Top Scorers
Tsmoki-Minsk: Laimonas Kisielius (22 + 5 rebounds), Djordje Gagic (14 + 5 rebounds), Justin Gray (14 + 5 assists), Dru Joyce (10 + 8 assists)
Avtodor: Nick Minnerath (23 + 9 rebounds), Tomislav Zubcic (14), Branden Frazier (11), Artem Klimenko (7 + 7 rebounds)
Turning Point I
Trailing by nine at halftime, 43-34, Tsmoki tied the game at 50-50, thanks to Aliaksandr Kudrautsau’s ‘3’ midway through the 3rd quarter.
After scoring 17 points each in the first two periods, Minsk erupted for 30 in the 3rd to get back in the contest. The quarter ended with Tsmoki on top, 64-63, setting up a dramatic finish.
Stat
27-33 – Evenly matched in virtually every category (field-goal percentage, rebounds, assists, turnovers), Tsmoki enjoyed a big advantage at the charity stripe, earning 33 attempts to Avtodor’s 22. The home team also converted at an 82% clip to Saratov’s 77%, knocking down 10 extra freebies, a big swing in such a tightly contested game.
Turning Point II
The home team led by as much as eight in the 4th, but Avtodor responded, tying the game at 79-79 with 2:46 to play.
His team in need of a spark, forward Nemanja Milosevic came up with several big plays to put Minsk back in control.
After Gagic scored on a layup, Milosevic forced a turnover on the next Avtodor possession and fed Kisielius for the 4-point lead.
With a little less than two minutes to play, the Serb sealed the win with four free throws, putting Tsmoki on top, 87-81.
Quotes
Avtodor head coach Sergei Mokin:
– We lost today because we played poorly on defense. Giving up almost 90 points was the main reason for the loss. The moment when Klimenko fouled out was also big.
Tsmoki-Minsk head coach Igor Grishchuk:
– I want to thank the guys for today’s game. 21 assists is a sign of good team play, which makes me happy. If we continue to progress like this, everything will turn out. We knew that Avtodor had a new coach and that they would try new things on offense, so we tried to win with our defense. That’s what happened.
Up Next
Tsmoki-Minsk: October 23 vs. Kalev
Avtodor: October 23 vs. Zenit
Snapshot
