«Astana» is once again celebrating a victory in the VTB United League over the most titled team in Belarus — «MINSK».
The match went into overtime and ended with a score of 84:89 in favor of Oleg Kiselev's team.
Even though «MINSK» still couldn't secure its first victory of the season, the match was challenging: the first quarter was evenly matched, and at halftime, the teams left with a score of 28:37 in favor of «Astana.» Nevertheless, in the second half, the hosts reduced the gap and almost secured a victory with a one-point advantage. However, Marcell Johnson converted a free throw and took the game into overtime.
In overtime, the champions of Belarus initially took the lead, but «Astana» leveled the score first and then secured a decisive point in the game.
«In my opinion, the game should have ended in regular time. Unfortunately, it didn't end in regular time. In the overtime, the opponent's prowess became evident as they gained an advantage: the team's key players scored crucial points. We, in turn, made three unforced errors, couldn't find Alex Zečević – the one who kept us in the game», - said MINSK's coach Rostislav Vergun after the match.
Royce Hamm (25 points, 14 rebounds), Marcell Johnson (19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists), Carvel Anderson (15 points, 7 assists), Devin Davis (13 points, 17 rebounds) particularly stood out.
Devin Davis repeated the season record for the number of rebounds in a game – previously held by Octavius Ellis from «Uralmash.»
After this victory, the head-to-head record between our teams is now equal – 12:12.
The next match in the VTB United League will be at home: we will play against UNICS on December 11! Tickets are already on sale.