Pari Nizhny Novgorod defeated UNICS in the SuperCup Quarterfinals – 86:82 (18:20, 24:21, 23:22, 21:19).
Game progress
In the SuperCup Quarterfinals, the reigning VTB United League champion UNICS and Russian Cup winner Pari Nizhny Novgorod faced off.
Nizhny Novgorod took the lead at the start with Glenn Causey effort – the American guard scored 10 of the team’s 18 points. UNICS, led by Nenad Dimitrijevic, quickly got back and finished the first quarter with a 2-point lead.
In the second quarter, the game got tougher, which led to a lot of fouls. The Kazan team scored most of their points from the paint by Jalen Reynolds’ aggression. Zoran Lukic team responded with long-range shots. Nizhny Novgorod went into halftime with a minimal lead.
The third quarter was even. Markos Knight pushed UNICS with his 12 points in 10 minutes. Nizhny Novgorod responded with pick-and-rolls. The score was tied 63-63 before the final quarter.
Key moment
Nizhny Novgorod defense improved in the first half of the fourth quarter and took a six-point lead with 3 minutes left. Dimitrijevic three-pointer helped UNICS get within one shot. But Andrey Vorontsevich two-pointer and Khvostov three-pointer gave the reigning United League champion no chance to escape.
Key factor
Khvostov and Vorontsevich duo played a major role in Nizhny win. The former Russian national team players scored 31 points combined, including the last 7 in the end.
Dmitriy had the most scoring game since 2019, when he had 17 points.
Fact
Vorontsevich played for UNICS last season. For the forward, the game had a special meaning. In the game against his former team, he scored 13 points and became one of the heroes of the end.
Leaders
UNICS: Knight (19 + 8 rebounds), Reynolds (16 + 5 rebounds), Dimitrijevic (16 + 8 assists), Labeyrie (15), Bako (13).
Pari Nizhny Novgorod: Khvostov (18), Vorontsevich (13), Chadov (12), Apic (10), Causey (10).
What’s Next
UNICS: September 23 with the loser of the Zenit vs. Besiktas pairing.
Pari Nizhny Novgorod: September 23 with the winner of the Zenit vs. Besiktas pairing.
