«Enisey» Krasnoyarsk, Russia vs. «Nizhny Novgorod» Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

Enisey Krasnoyarsk defeated Nizhny Novgorod at home, 103-96. Enisey's defense won the game in the final minutes, shutting down Nizhny stars Rasid Mahalbasic and Victor Rudd. At the other end, Delroy James and Tony Taylor hit several big shots, leading Krasnoyarsk to a win at home.

Intro
The two teams put out very different lineups to start the game. Nizhny went big with Semen Antonov (202 cm) and Victor Rudd (202 cm) playing at shooting guard and small forward. Despite an advantage in quickness, Enisey could not solve Nizhny's height and trailed 27-23 at the end of the 1st quarter.

Rasid Mahalbasic led the way for the visitors, while Enisey got 15 points from 22-year-old guard Denis Zakharov. At halftime, Nizhny Novgorod held a 50-49 lead.

Rudd and Antonov took over for Nizhny in the 3rd quarter. Rudd was strong getting to the basket, while Antonov knocked down several 3-pointers. Krasnoyarsk got some production inside, feeding Tim Olbrecht and Delroy James. With 10 minutes to go, Nizhny Novgorod enjoyed a 79-75 advantage.

Turning Point
Trailing by four points with 5:05 to play, Enisey's defense came up huge. The Siberians held Nizhny to four points over the next 4:40 to take a seven-point lead, 100-93, and ice a very important win.

Delroy James and Tony Taylor did most of the damage. Up by three, Taylor got a steal and scored on a fast break, while James slammed the door shut with a fast-break dunk to make it 100-93. Enisey improves to 4-5, half a game behind Nizhny in the standings.

Star Player
Tony Taylor. He was unstoppable in the final minutes, distributing the ball, scoring, rebounding and playing lockdown defense.

Stat of the Game
103 - Despite missing several key players, Krasnoyarsk scored a season-best 103 points.

Quotes
Enisey head coach Oleg Okulov:
- Nizhny Novgorod is a serious opponent, which is why today's win is twice as nice. Injuries brought the team together and everyone played hard today. Without doubt, we made a lot of mistakes, but we had a game plan and we executed it, earning a win.

Nizhny Novgorod head coach Ainars Bagatskis:
- Enisey plays very aggressive basketball. In the first half, we couldn't stop Zakharov and James. In the second half, it was Taylor and James. Rushing on offense and turnovers doomed us in the final minutes and Enisey took advantage.

Stats

Snapshot