«Triumph» Lyubertsy, Russia vs. «Neptunas» Klaipeda, Lithuania

In Week 8 of the regular season, Moscow Region’s Triumph slipped by Lithuanian Neptunas at home, 83-80. The visitors controlled play almost the entire game, but the home team’s unbelievable play in the final quarter allowed them to squeeze out a very difficult win.

Intro
Few thought the game in Lyubertsy would have much drama. Neptunas came in with only one win, and that a crazy victory at home over Tsmoki. Their visit to the Moscow Region, according to many, would result in an easy win for the home team, who sat in the middle of the group standings and still had much to play for.
There’s another side to every coin, however. The Lithuanian club found some magic, winning the rebounding battle, shooting well from inside the paint and stopping the hosts from playing their best on offense. Vytautas Sarakauskas cleaned the glass, securing 3 offensive rebounds in the first quarter, while David McClure took over shooting responsibilities. Neptunas’s attractive team play earned them a 26-15 lead after 10 minutes on the court.
Kyle Landry made his presence known in the second quarter, as he sought to bring his team back. Unfortunately for the Moscow Region fans, the Canadian center got a little too ambitious. Martynas Mazeika and co. maintained their lead for the duration of the quarter; Sergey Karasev’s 3-pointer at the end of the half only some consolation for the home crowd. Neptunas led, 44-36, at halftime.
Everyone expected an exciting start to the second half – Triumph was supposed to come out firing and cut into the lead. Nothing of the sort happened. Mazeika and Gailius spearheaded an 11-0 run after the break, seemingly ending Triumph’s chance once and for all. Not matter how hard Vasily Karasev’s men tried, they could only draw within 13 points with one quarter to play (67-54).

Turning Point
Neptunas played so confidently and smoothly, that it seemed nothing would stop them tonight. Their 13-point advantaged only added to their optimism. On the other hand, the lead tricked Kazys Maksvytis’s men into letting down their guard. Triumph clamped down on defense and got Neptunas in foul trouble – Gailius, Sarakauskas and Dainys all ultimately fouled out. Thanks to McKee and Karasev, the home team cut the deficit to one, then a 3-pointer from Karasev tied the game with 66 seconds until the horn. Rashaun Broadus’s turnover cost his team victory. Karasev hit two free throws a few seconds later and Mazeika missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. 83-80 – Triumph’s comeback ends in an amazing win.

Star of the Game
Sergey Karasev. The game’s star came up big in the game’s decisive minutes. With one minute to play, Triumph’s young phenom tied the game with a 3-pointer, then confidently drained 4 free throws to help his team to victory. Karasev also ended the night with a game-high 25 points.

Stat of the Game
19 – The deficit the Moscow Region team had to overcome in order to win.

Top Performers
Triumph: Sergey Karasev – 25 points.
Neptunas: Martynas Mazeika – 16 points.