«Astana» Astana, Kazakhstan vs. «Nizhny Novgorod» Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

Astana defeated Nizhny Novgorod at home, 101-79. Led by Jerry Johnson, the Yellow-Blues scored more than 100 points for the second time this season and secured a crucial win at home vs. 8th-place Nizhny Novgorod.

Recap
Nizhny's grip on 8th place and the final playoff spot has begun to slip in recent weeks, raising the stakes for this road game in Kazakhstan. Away from home, the Russians have struggled, going 2-5. But despite the difficulty of playing in Astana, Nizhny could take comfort from its 6-1 record all-time vs. the Kazakh club.

Early on, both teams were prolific on offense. Astana point guard Jerry Johnson especially impressed, recording seven points and seven assists in the 1st quarter to give the home team a 34-25 advantage.

Astana's lead ballooned to 17 early in the 2nd quarter, but Nizhny responded with a 7-0 run to quiet the crowd. Semen Antonov was big for the visitors, scoring six points to go with a pair of blocks, helping his team cut the deficit to four, 55-51, at halftime.

The Kazakhs regained their mojo in the second half, playing with urgency and pushing the tempo. Entering the final period, Astana led by 12, 80-68. The visitors hung around for the first 3-4 minutes of the 4th quarter, before Ramunas Butautas's men slammed the door shut, finishing the game on a 13-1 run.

Astana snaps a three-game losing streak and improves to 5-10, two games back of Nizhny Novgorod (7-8) for the final playoff spot.

Star Player
Jerry Johnson. Astana's American playmaker sparked the offense all game, picking up a double-double in the first half and finishing with 17 points and 15 assists.

Stat of the Game
50 - Astana's 3-point field-goal percentage. The team's proficiency from outside was a big factor in the win.

Quotes
Astana head coach Ramunas Butautas:
- We started the game very focused. The guys controlled the tempo and finished the game strong with a win. Thanks to the entire team for their work today.

Nizhny Novgorod head coach Ainars Bagatskis:
- We lost the individual battles today. I don't know the reason, but the guys shot the ball poorly and were very weak on defense. Our opponent, on the other hand, play tough, quality basketball.

Snapshot