«Kalev» Tallinn, Estonia vs. «Krasny Oktyabr» Volgograd, Russia

Kalev defeated Krasny Oktyabr in Tallinn, 89-81. The home team took control in the opening period, leading by as much as 16. Volgograd mounted a comeback, cutting the deficit to four several times in the second half, but Kalev always had an answer, defeating Volgograd for the second time this season. Oktyabr drops four games back of the final playoff spot with the loss.

Intro
Krasny Oktyabr traveled to Estonia, desperately needing a win to stay alive in the playoff race. A recent win over Nizhny Novgorod had revived Volgograd's hopes. Now the club needed to score its first-ever win vs. the Estonians.

The home team led early, dominating Oktyabr on the glass and lighting up the perimeter. At the end of the opening period, Kalev enjoyed a commanding 26-10 advantage.

The Steelmen have erased bigger deficits this season and immediately began chipping away. More aggressive defense and rebounding, not to mention balanced offense, made it a four-point game, 39-35, late in the first half.

Kalev responded, leading again by 10 at halftime. The home team added to its advantage in the 3rd quarter, scoring 24 points to take a 71-59 lead entering the 4th quarter.

Turning Point
Early in the 4th quarter, Krasny Oktyabr made one final charge, once again pulling within four points, thanks to a 5-0 run from Jerry Jefferson (71-67). But Freimanis and Sten Sokk silenced the visitors, drilling back-to-back 3's, while a jumper from Morris Curry stretched the lead back to 12. Kalev went on to win by eight, picking up its 7th win of the season.

Star Player
Rolands Freimanis. The forward was Kalev's number one option on offense from tip-off, scoring inside and out for a game-high 26 points on 9-14 shooting.

Stat of the Game
0 - there were no lead changes or ties in this game. Kalev led wire-to-wire for one of its best wins of the season.

Quotes
Kalev head coach Alar Varrak:
- We played a good game today, given Krasny Oktyabr's recent success. Our opponent cut into the deficit several times, but we stood strong. Curry, who's back from injury, really helped, as did Sokk.

We tried to play as physical as possible without fouling. In the end, our plan worked.

Krasny Oktyabr head coach Kirill Bolshakov:
- Kalev played really strong today. Early on, they grabbed offensive rebounds, then they started to hit 3-pointers. Our opponent moved a lot and we couldn't keep up, especially with Curry and Sokk.