16february
12 Incredible Comebacks In League History
Krasny Oktyabr overcame a 25-point deficit vs. VEF in early February to escape with a win in Riga. Inspired by Volgograd's heroics (Oktyabr also erased a 22-point deficit in Krasnoyarsk in January), VTB-League.com ranks the league's most memorable comebacks.
Date: October 4, 2015
Biggest deficit: 18 points
Star: Tyrese Rice
Khimki let Avtodor and Malcolm Armstead get a little too comfortable in the 1st quarter of this game. Saratov raced out to an 18-point lead by pushing the tempo and knocking down almost every shot.
After the hapless 1st-quarter performance, Khimki gradually erased the deficit, emerging with a hard-fought 87-84 win thanks to Tyrese Rice's leadership.
Date: February 4, 2012
Biggest deficit: 19 points
Stars: Sergey Monia, Vitaly Fridzon
Krasnye Krylia jumped out to a big lead, enjoying a 19-point advantage through nine minutes. Khimki couldn't slow down the home team and struggled with turnovers and poor shooting.
But the visitors quickly responded as Vitaly Fridzon helped Khimki chip away at the deficit in the 2nd quarter. Once Sergey Monia got hot in the second half, the visitors took control for good. Samara had several opportunities to spring the upset, but Khimki ultimately succeeded in completing the comeback.
Date: December 2, 2012
Biggest deficit: 19 points
Star: Jerry Jefferson
Triumph was favored in this game and looked to assert control early. No one was surprised when the home team picked up a 19-point advantage.
But Enisey was completely transformed in the second half, led by former Triumph star Jerry Jefferson. Krasnoyarsk couldn't miss from inside the arc over the final 20 minutes, securing an impressive come-from-behind win on the road.
Date: December 9, 2012
Biggest deficit: 19 points
Star: Sergey Karasev, Tywain McKee
A week after the loss to Enisey, Vasily Karasev's men put together their own thrilling comeback. Once again, Triumph was favored vs. Neptunas. But the Lithuanians didn't go down easy, seizing an early lead and going up by as much as 19 in the 3rd quarter.
Triumph struggled to get back in the game, before Sergey Karasev and Tywain McKee got hot and helped the home team pull out a win.
Date: October 27, 2013
Biggest deficit: 19 points
Stars: Olaseni Lawal, Brion Rush
Midway through the 2nd quarter, Julian Wright and Demetris Nichols led the visitors on a big run. Krylia's lead grew to as much as 19 early in the 3rd quarter. Olaseni Lawal and Brion Rush stopped the bleeding, but Samara remained in control.
The turning point came when Samara point guard Aaron Miles picked up 5th foul. Forced to play the final three and a half minutes without their playmaker, Samara crumbled, allowing Astana to complete the comeback.
Date: November 30, 2014
Biggest deficit: 19 points
Star: Keith Langford
Astana was in control for much of the game, leading by as much as 19 in the first half.
UNICS got bailed out by its defense. With Astana struggling to score, the home team gradually cut into the deficit. The final minutes turned into a free-throw contest, with Evgeny Pashutin's men emerging victorious.
Date: March 13, 2012
Biggest deficit: 20 points
Stars: Victor Keyru, Patrick Beverley, Loukas Mavrokefalidis
2nd place in the group and a quarterfinal bye was on the line in this game. Spartak was favored, but after scoring a measly seven points over 15 minutes, the home team trailed by 20.
Head coach Jurij Zdovc must have had strong words for his men at halftime. Led by Victor Keyru, Patrick Beverley and Loukas Mavrokefalidis, Spartak stormed back in the second half for a big-time win.
Date: February 21, 2015
Biggest deficit: 20 points
Star: Randy Culpepper
Enisey center Elmedin Kikanovic knocked down a shot to start the 3rd quarter, giving his team a 20-point lead.
But Krasnoyarsk started celebrating too early. Randy Culpepper caught fire in the second half, scoring on every defensive combination Enisey threw at him. The American guard finished with 33 points to give his team the come-from-behind win.
Date: November 23, 2015
Biggest deficit: 21 points
Stars: Martin Zeno, Tuukka Kotti
3-point shooting was the story in this game. Until Bisons got hot from outside, the offense looked sluggish. Riga took advantage, leading by as much as 21 points in the second half.
But once the Finns started connecting on the perimeter, the momentum shifted immediately. Coupled with Martin Zeno's strong play inside, the home team erased the deficit and won the game on a buzzer-beater from Tuukka Kotti.
Date: May 9, 2014
Biggest deficit: 22 points
Stars: Marcus Williams, Derrick Brown
Game 1 of the 2014 quarterfinal series between CSKA and Loko was an instant classic. Early on, visiting Lokomotiv appeared to have no chance of a victory. The Red-Blues blitzed Krasnodar, leading by 22 points early in the 2nd quarter.
But the Railwaymen were not fazed. Loko's defense settled in, Derrick Brown and Marcus Williams began to dominate and the deficit gradually shrank. The 4th quarter was all Lokomotiv. Emboldened by their success, the visitors started knocking down contested shots, while CSKA leader Milos Teodosic struggled to get a single shot to fall...
Date: January 10, 2016
Biggest deficit: 22 points
Stars: Vasily Zavoruev, Ekene Ibekwe, Viacheslav Zaitcev
January's contest between Enisey and Krasny Oktyabr was almost identical to the meeting last season. The home team dominated in the first half, leading by more than 20 points early in the 3rd quarter. And, once again, the Steelmen came roaring back for the win!
The only difference was that unlike Randy Culpepper's virtuosos performance the year before, this time Oktyabr relied on a team effort. Aggressive defense, transition offense and excellent perimeter shooting helped Volgograd complete the shocking comeback.
Date: February 7, 2016
Biggest deficit: 25 points
Stars: Vasily Zavoruev, Jerry Jefferson
The biggest comeback in league history belongs to Krasny Oktyabr and took place one week ago in Riga. For 25 minutes, VEF dominated the game at both ends of the court. Leading by 25, the club appeared certain of victory.
But a huge run from Volgograd to finish the 3rd quarter and start the 4th got the visitors back in the game. Riga couldn't stop Jerry Jefferson and played poor defense on the perimeter. The game was decided on a 3-pointer. With five seconds to play, trailing by one, Vasily Zavoruev knocked down a huge shot to give his team the win!
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