«Vita» Tbilisi, Georgia vs. «Tsmoki-Minsk» Minsk, Belarus

Vita defeated Tsmoki-Minsk at home, 81-80. The Dragons led by nine with two minutes to play, but Tbilisi refused to quit, cutting the deficit to one with 17 seconds to play. After the visitors missed two free throws, Beka Tsivtsivadze knocked down a game-winning buzzer-beater to give the Georgian club its first-ever victory in the VTB United League.

Intro
Vita made it clear from the start that the visitors would not have an easy time in Tbilisi. Neither team could get much momentum in the first half. Tsmoki led by three at the end of the 1st quarter, while Vita pulled ahead at halftime, 39-37.

Anthony Hilliard and Ivan Maras led the way for the visitors, combining for 22 points in the opening 20 minutes. Six different players scored for the home team in the first half, including nine for Andre Jones, Jr.

Tsmoki had a little more success in the second half, pulling ahead by nine early in the 4th quarter. Though Irakly Chlaidze and Daniel Bejarano quickly erased the deficit, getting Vita within one, 69-68, another spurt from Maras and Hilliard put the visitors back up nine.

Turning Point
Down big with two minutes remaining, Bejarano and Chlaidze led Tbilisi on the comeback trail. With 17 seconds to go, Bejarano knocked down his 4th '3' of the game to make it a one-point game.

On the ensuing Tsmoki possession, Vita fouled immediately, sending Pavel Ulyanko to the line. The 72% free-throw shooter missed both and Beka Tsivtsivadze snagged the rebound, then drilled a buzzer-beater to give the home team its first win of the season!

Star Player
Beka Tsivtsivadze. Though Irakly Chlaidze and Daniel Bejarano made huge contributions, Tsivtsivadze's game-winner stole the headlines, lifting Vita to its first-ever win in the VTB United League. The Georgian guard finished with 14 points, five rebounds and six assists.

Stat of the Game
Tsmoki went 11-18 from the free-throw line, including two big misses in the final seconds.