«Avtodor» Saratov, Russia vs. «Tsmoki-Minsk» Minsk, Belarus

Avtodor defeated Tsmoki-Minsk at home, 98-85. The home team pulled away late in the first half and boosted the lead to 20 points early in the 3rd quarter. Tsmoki-Minsk had no answer, suffering a 13-point defeat. Avtodor improves to 13-8 with the win, half a game up on Nizhny Novgorod and Nymburk for 6th place.

Recap
Saratov blew out Tsmoki in Minsk three days ago, winning 106-83. With another win on Sunday, Avtodor had a chance to pull within a game and a half of 5th-place Khimki and stay ahead of Nymburk and Nizhny Novgorod in the standings.

Early on, Tsmoki-Minsk's offense caused problems for the home team. The visitors played smart in the halfcourt and led by as much as seven in the opening period.

Saratov, on the other hand, looked out of sorts to start the game. Center Artem Klimenko especially struggled, fouling on a 3-point attempt and committing a technical. But the home team still managed to tie the score at 23-23 entering the 2nd quarter.

Avtodor was much better to finish the first half. Klimenko and Evgeny Kolesnikov spearheaded an 11-2 run in the final minutes of the 2nd quarter, staking Avtodor to a 50-41 advantage at the end of the half.

While the Dragons tried to solve Saratov's defense, the home team made it a double-digit advantage. The lead continued to grow throughout the third period, reaching 20 early in the 4th.

Despite the deficit, Tsmoki continued to compete, pulling within eight with five minutes to play. But that was as close as the visitors got. Saratov made shots down the stretch, securing a 98-85 victory to stay ahead of Nymburk and Nizhny Novgorod in the race for playoff seeding.

Star Player
Paul Stoll. The Mexican point guard was a terrific playmaker, recording his first double-double of the season: 15 points, 12 assists and five rebounds.

Stat of the Game
13-26 - Avtodor made exactly half of its 3-point attempts.

Snapshot