Enjoy a quick rundown of the past week in the VTB United League.
Spotlight
There were a lot of big games and standout performances over the weekend, but none matched the scene in Saratov. Avtodor, which entered the game with a 1-3 record, came desperately close to beating the reigning champs, CSKA.
The fans in Saratov were terrific, helping spark the upset bid and Avtodor had several chances, both in regulation and overtime, but couldn’t quite convert. In the end, Nikita Kurbanov’s free throws in the final seconds sealed the win for CSKA, extending Moscow’s unbeaten streak to seven (including Euroleague).
Record
UNICS superstar Keith Langford set a new League scoring record with 42 points against Tsmoki-Minsk. That tops Randy Culpepper’s 41 points, also set against Tsmoki.
After a tough week in the Euroleague and injuries to several key players, UNICS fans had to be thrilled about Langford’s performance.
Reinforcements
Khimki has been busy in free agency, taking advantage of the influx of new talent available with the conclusion of the NBA preseason. Over the past week, Moscow Region inked Markel Brown, Robbie Hummel, and 2012 NBA Dunk Contest winner, Jeremy Evans.
Something Had To Give
Two of the League’s most successful teams in recent years, Nizhny Novgorod and Lokomotiv-Kuban, entered Saturday’s matchup without a win. Playing on the road, Krasnodar snapped its streak first, blowing out Nizhny Novgorod by 27.
Extra Point
Escape
Enisey keeps winning. After a big loss to UNICS on October, Krasnoyarsk has won five in a row, including Europe Cup. For most of the game in Perm, it looked like the streak would come to an end. Enisey trailed by as much as 19, before catching fire in the 4th quarter.
With Tony Taylor hitting big shot after big shot, the Siberian club outscored Parma by 15 in the final period (24-9) to win by two. Parma will need to wait a bit longer for its first VTB United League win.
Flight
Streak
Zenit won its 4th straight, knocking off VEF. Only Zenit, UNICS, and CSKA remain undefeated, though that won’t be true for long. Next Sunday, St. Petersburg and Moscow square off in the Russian capital.
X-Factor
Mark Tollefsen helped Kalev overcome Astana. He only scored two points in the first half, but after coming off the bench in the 3rd quarter, Tollefsen couldn’t miss, scoring 15 points to guide the home team to a victory.
Takeoff
Statue
CSKA’s new metro station will feature a sculpture of CSKA forward Viktor Khryapa. You’ll be able to see Khryapa in bronze beginning in December.
Return
Artem Zabelin debuted for Avtodor against CSKA, playing his first game in the League since April. He even had a chance to win it in overtime, but his fadeaway on the baseline didn’t drop.
Stat
14 – number of missed 3-pointers by Milos Teodosic against Avtodor (1-15). The Serb matched the League record, set by Ronald Clark of Bisons.
Quote
UNICS guard Keith Langford:
– No matter who the opponent is, my job is putting the ball in the basket. I’m really happy that I’m in peak condition. I’m 33 years old; it’s not as easy as it looks. You see what I do during games. But you don’t know everything that happens at practice.
After Barcelona, I said I wasn’t ready mentally. I hesitated a lot and wasn’t aggressive enough. Of course, you need to do more than just be aggressive when you score points. But it’s important not to be afraid of missing or making mistakes.
Stars
Keith Langford (UNICS)
42 points – that’s all you need to know.
Milos Teodosic (CSKA)
Despite struggling from outside, the playmaker still put up huge numbers against Avtodor: 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. That’s classic Teodosic.
Tony Taylor (Enisey)
9-13 from the field and 25 points, plus the big buckets down the stretch.
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