By Yegor Glebov
The 17th game in the round, hosted by Minsk-Arena, saw the home team finally pleasing fans with an amazing defeat of one of Europe’s top teams — 86:82. From the very beginning, the ‘dragons’ showed that they had no intention of yielding to their formidable opponent, being eager to go through to the next round. The Minsk squad kept their lead throughout most of the match, although Žalgiris climbed ahead in the fourth minute before the final whistle. Fans held their breath but the team rose to the challenge, finally snatching victory.
Just 27 seconds before the end of the match, Denis Korshuk scored three points, then took a penalty in the final 20 seconds, ensuring the team’s supremacy. In total, Korshuk claimed 15 points, while Alexander Kudryavtsev and American mercenary Thierry Brown scored 16 points each, making them the top shooters. In the first round, Andrey Krivonos’ team lost in Kaunas — 57:81.
Tsmoki’s only other victory in Group B was gained in February, over Neptunas Klaipeda (93:71) at Minsk-Arena. Neptunas recently lost to Triumph Lyubertsy at home — 88:97 — leaving it with 19 points, on equal footing with the Minsk club. On March 17th, the Belarusian champions will meet Nymburk Czech Republic at home. The latter recently lost to Yenisei Krasnoyarsk, with a score of 59:81.
Krasnoyarsk will host the final match for Neptunas and Tsmoki on March 24th, revealing who will take 9th place in Group B, allowing them to avoid qualifying games for the VTB United League next season.
