Tsmoki-Minsk Belarus defeated Kalev Estonia on the road, 85-80 (20-19, 18-22, 14-17, 21-15, 12-7).
Top Scorers
Kalev: Bojan Subotic (20 + 5 reb), Thomas van der Mars (18 + 9 reb), Martin Dorbek (11)
Tsmoki-Minsk: Chris Czerapowicz (24), David Kravish (17), Mikita Meshcharakou (14 + 6 reb), Devon Saddler (12 + 5 reb + 6 ast)
Story
Tsmoki-Minsk secured a vital road win in Tallinn, defeating Kalev 85-80 in overtime behind 24 points from Chris Czerapowicz and excellent three-point shooting.
The home team had a chance to win in regulation after Mikita Meshcharakou’s fast-break dunk tied the game at 73-73. But Kalev failed to get a shot off in time, forcing the extra period.
Minsk capitalized as Czerapowicz knocked down the go-ahead 3-pointer with two minutes remaining and David Kravish sealed the win with four points in the final 40 seconds.
Kalev, who drops to 6-15 with the defeat, two games back of a postseason berth, was in front much of the second half. The Estonians led by as much as nine late in the 3rd quarter on a Kristjan Kangur three and entered the final period with a six-point advantage.
But Minsk quickly leveled the score, 62-62, with seven minutes to go. With less than a minute to go, Bojan Subotic put Kalev in front by two, 73-71, converting three free throws after he was fouled by Tsmoki forward Aliaksandr Semianiuk.
After both teams missed opportunities to score, Meshcharakou tied the game in transition, fed beautifully by David Kravish under the rim and the Belarusians were able to hang on for overtime.
Tsmoki-Minsk improves to 7-12, moving into a tie for 8th place with PARMA and VEF.
Stat
58 – Tsmoki shot the ball very well in Tallinn. The Belarusians were actually better from the field than the line (56%).
Quotes
Kalev head coach Donaldas Kairys:
– We started the game strong and with energy. Everything worked until midway through the 4th quarter. But issues with the rotation had an impact. We’re missing Isaiah Briscoe and Cedric Simmons to injuries. At the end, our starters’ fatigue was an issue.
Tsmoki-Minsk head coach Alexander Krutikov:
– The way the schedule is set up, we keep playing our rivals. The playoffs are at stake and every win is very important. We managed to find a spark when we needed it in the second half. We were able to hit open shots and play like a team. In the end, we earned a win in overtime.
Up Next
Kalev: April 11 home vs. CSKA
Tsmoki-Minsk: April 12 home vs. Khimki
Images of the Game
