VEF Latvia defeated Nizhny Novgorod Russia at home, 94-90 (21-27, 25-19, 29-17, 19-27).
Top Scorers
VEF: Alex Perez (27 + 6 ast), Kaspars Berzins (15), Kristaps Janicenoks (14), Mareks Mejeris (10 + 10 reb)
Nizhny Novgorod: Stevan Jelovac (20 + 9 reb), Petr Gubanov (15 + 5 reb), Jake Odum (14 + 5 ast), Ivan Strebkov (13 + 6 ast)
Story
VEF moved into 8th place with a 94-90 win over Nizhny Novgorod, continuing a remarkable turnaround after opening the season 1-10.
Alex Perez led the way for the home team, scoring 27 points and dishing out six assists. VEF was up 12 early in the 4th quarter, 82-70, before Nizhny went on an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to four and force a dramatic finish.
Stevan Jelovac, who led the visitors with 20 points and nine rebounds, made it a one-point game with a minute remaining, 91-90, courtesy of a three-point play.
After guard Ken Brown turned the ball over for VEF, Nizhny missed two opportunities to take the lead and Mareks Mejeris was able to extend the home team’s advantage to two at the charity stripe.
Berzins’ Big Block
Really important block by @vefriga‘ forward Kaspars Berzins 👏
По-настоящему важный блок от форварда ВЭФ Каспарса Берзиньша 👏 pic.twitter.com/VTiRuUBkLf
— VTB United League (@VTBUL) April 1, 2018
Jelovac had one more chance to win it for the visitors, but his 3-pointer missed the mark and Kaspars Berzins was able to corral the rebound, clinching a win for the home team at the line.
VEF improves to 7-12 and swaps places with 6-11 Nizhny Novgorod as the playoff race continues to heat up. Six teams separated by only two games remain in contention for the final two playoff spots.
Stat
24 – Both teams shot the ball extremely well from beyond the arc, combining for 24 3-pointers and 44% accuracy.
Quotes
VEF head coach Janis Gailitis:
– This wasn’t our best game, but we won, which is the most important thing. Despite the mistakes, especially on defense, we played with a lot of effort and desire today. We played well at the end. A spot in the League playoffs is at stake, so the motivation is high. Everyone wants to reach our goal.
Nizhny Novgorod head coach Zoran Lukic:
– This was a very tough game. We committed too many turnovers in the first half, which was the deciding factor. At the same time, everyone competed. I can’t blame anyone for lack of effort. But when you give up 94 points, it’s hard to expect to win.
Up Next
VEF: April 8 away vs. UNICS
Nizhny Novgorod: April 5 away vs. PARMA
Images of the Game
