«Astana» Astana, Kazakhstan vs. «Enisey» Krasnoyarsk, Russia

Enisey defeated Astana on the road, 80-73. The Siberian visitors pulled out a hard-fought victory, coming back from a 10-point deficit in the 1st quarter to win by seven. Terrific defense and transition offense gave the Russian club an edge in the second half. Enisey has now won 11 games and has an excellent chance to finish 9th in the standings.

Intro
These two teams met two weeks earlier with Enisey winning big at home. Astana hoped to get revenge, especially with Pat Calathes back in the lineup.

The Greek forward got off to a hot start, combining with Kyrylo Natyazhko to put Astana on top early. Big man Alexey Zhukanenko also had an impact, with the trio combining for 20 points in the opening period to help the home team to a 27-17 lead.

Enisey's defense improved in the 2nd quarter, but poor 3-point shooting made it tough to reduce the deficit. Trailing by 10 most of the period, Enisey did manage to cut it to seven, 44-37, at halftime.

The defense had a big impact in the 3rd quarter as well. Calathes continued to score for Astana, but got no help from his teammates. Enisey took advantage, grabbing the lead on a field goal from Alexey Vzdykhalkin, 53-52.

Turning Point
Enisey pulled away in the 4th quarter thanks to the transition offense of Delroy James and David Kennedy. Tim Olbrecht also chipped in, knocking down a pair of shots in the halfcourt. With a minute and a half to play, Enisey's lead had grown to seven, 78-71. The visitors went on to win, notching their 11th victory of the season.

Star Player
Delroy James. The forward spearheaded Enisey's offense from the opening tip. He was terrific in transition and had success beating his defenders 1-on-1. James finished with a game-high 20 points, while adding six rebounds.

Stat of the Game
14% (3-21) - despite shooting just 14% from downtown, Enisey managed to get a win in Kazakhstan.

Snapshot