«PGE Turow» Zgorzelec, Poland vs. «Donetsk» Donetsk, Ukraine

Donetsk (Ukraine) overcame Turow (Poland) on the road in overtime, 108-104, in Week 4 of the regular season. Both teams played offense-first, with the back-and-forth game needing overtime to decide a winner. Early in the extra period, the Tigers finally pulled away, holding on for a thrilling four-point victory.

Intro
Fast-break opportunities are usually dubbed “easy” points. It’s a lot easier, after all, to score when you have the opposition off-balance, enjoy more open passing lanes and have numerous options for putting the ball in the bucket. That’s what Turow and Donetsk demonstrated all night on Sunday, to the delight of the Zgorzelec crowd. The Poles and Ukrainians didn’t bother much on defense, succumbing to a chaotic, attacking brand of basketball, in which neither team could gain an advantage for the first 40 minutes of play. The score at the end of the first quarter speaks for itself – 30-29 – a minimal lead for the home team.

Little changed in the second and third quarters. The pace may slowed a bit, with the two teams unable to sustain the early tempo. But with the score tied at halftime, 50-50, and the Tigers in front by one point, 73-72, entering the fourth, the fans could hardly complain.

The struggle continued right up until the end of regulation. Most players can only dream of games in which defense is second priority and the team has full-leash to score as much as possible. Given the identical approach taken by both Donetsk and Turow, it seemed only fitting for this encounter to stretch into overtime. Bernard King (Donetsk) and Tony Taylor (Turow) missed late chances to win, ensuring the game would see a fifth period, the score knotted at 89-89.

Turning Point
But the head coaches play an important role, too, and are the ones held responsible in the end. Ahead of the extra five minutes, Valery Plekhanov emphasized the necessity of paying attention to defense, which was just what his men needed to hear. Challenged by their coach, the Ukrainians worked much harder on the defensive end, while Bernard King and Ben McCauley took care of the scoring at the other end. In the end, one of the teams finally managed to push ahead – the Tigers built a tidy lead which they would hold on to until the end of this incredible game. Donetsk wins its third of the season, 108-104.

Star of the Game
Bernard King. The American guard was excellent in the open court, scoring on his own and helping his teammates get open. It should also be noted that King scored Donetsk’s final five points of the game.

Stat of the Game
212. Turow and Donetsk combined for 212 points. The recent record set by Krasny Oktyabr and Tsmoki-Minsk (225) was almost within reach.

Top Performers
Turow: Nemanja Jaromaz – 30 points; Damian Kulig – 19 points; Filip Dylewicz – 12 points, five rebounds; John Prince – 11 points, six rebounds; Lukasz Wisniewski – 10 points, eight assists.

Donetsk: Ben McCauley – 28 points; Bernard King – 26 points, nine assists; Marco Killingsworth – 18 points, five rebounds; Denis Yakovlev – 17 points.