Update Post: November 28, 2023 9:16 am
MBA – UNICS
VTB United League Super Cup. For 7th place
September 24, 2023, Sunday. 11:00 Moscow time
MBA: Kasatkin – 11, Barashkov – 8, Minchenko – 7, Lopatin – 7, Sheiko – 6, Aksenov – 6, Khomenko – 5, Trushkin – 4, Klyuev – 4, Yakushin – 4, Savchenko – 2
UNICS: Knight – 12, Reynolds – 11, Dimitrievich – 10, Komolov – 10, Stulenkov – 8, Odinokov – 8, D. Kulagin – 7, Bako – 7, Labery – 6, Zaitsev – 2, Tikhonenko – 2, Kolesnikov
The game started very even, both clubs scored only six points in the first three and a half minutes. The loser of the UNICS tournament soon began to show that he did not want to lose the third match in a row. The advantage sometimes reached “+13”. The first quarter was dominated by the Kazan team for 22:11.
The anger of the current VTB United League champion was felt in the second quarter. The ten-minute period began immediately with a 12-3 lead by the Kazan team, and at the big break the teams left with a score of 49:29.
UNICS entered the second half in energy conservation mode, but even this allowed the Kazan team to finish the match calmly. The final score is 83:64.
A quiet second half allowed UNICS to use more rotation in the second half, with no player playing more than 25 minutes. None of them managed to score more than 12 points.
Thus, in the Super Cup UNICS took seventh place and MBA last, losing all three games.
Casper Ware and Derek Needham
Photo: Press service of the VTB United League
CSKA – Besiktas
VTB United League Super Cup. For 5th place
September 24, 2023, Sunday. 14:00 Moscow time
Besiktas
Istanbul
CSKA: Ware – 41, Dzhekiri – 12, Antonov – 12, M’Bai – 11, Mikhailovsky – 3, Ukhov – 2, Ruzhentsev – 2, Kardanakhishvili – 2, Kurbanov – 2, Zaitsev, Gafurov, Zakharov
Besiktas: Mitchell – 19, Matthews – 18, Needham – 16, Delgado – 11, Ugurlu – 7, Arslan – 7, Durmaz – 4, Konan – 4, Hammonds – 3, Yigitoglu – 2, Çoban
The game began at a calm pace, the teams played simple combinations, focusing on work in the paint and in the post. The match was dominated by the positional attack, this pattern of play was a little more understandable and convenient for Besiktas, who won the first quarter by 22:19.
The first part of the second ten minutes followed a similar scenario, but then the Turks began to speed up the game. Counterattacks began, long shots flew, CSKA could not cope and offer the same basketball to the rival. Besiktas had a 54:41 lead at the big break.
After switching sides, the Turkish club continued to increase its lead, at one point taking it to “+18”. The Army team could not demonstrate the same effective attacking system, so they decided to focus on defense and give all the responsibility of scoring points to Casper Ware, who single-handedly began to continue his shooting party in the Super Cup. This helped in part: 71:62 at the beginning of the final segment.
In the decisive quarter, Ware stopped being shy and began to openly act alone. This helped the red and blue equalize the score with 50 seconds left. After this, CSKA could not score a single point and Besiktas managed to implement two simple attacks. The final score is 91:87.
Kasper virtually repeated his record-breaking performance from the quarterfinals. Today he scored 41 points (6 of 10 triples). However, CSKA achieved its only victory in that match in which its star point guard did not have to act as a hero.
Thus, Besiktas took fifth place and CSKA sixth.
Jonathan Motley and Andrey Vorontsevich
Photo: Press service of the VTB United League
Fenerbahce – Paris Nizhny Novgorod
VTB United League Super Cup. For 3rd place
September 24, 2023, Sunday. 17:00 Moscow time
Fenerbahce
Istanbul
Pari Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod
Fenerbahce: Motley, Hazer, Sanli, Papayannis, Mahmutoglu, Biberovic, Pierre, Guduric, Dorsey, Calathes, Madar, Sestina
Pari Nizhny Novgorod: Cozy, Allen, Gankevich, Gankevich, Apich, Chadov, Ivlev, Khvostov, Strebkov, Belenitsky, Vorontsevich, Baburin
Already at the beginning of the meeting, the Turkish club immediately achieved a noticeable breakthrough – 12:2. However, the Russian team was not afraid and began to use active rotation to test Fener’s weak points. The first quarter ended with the score 24:17.
In the second ten minutes, the Nizhny Novgorod team continued to systematically reduce the distance, getting within one shot. The score is 41:38 at the big break. After switching sides, a close and even fight began, Pari NN even managed to take the lead midway through the third quarter.
However, the Turks reached the end with a slight advantage, winning and taking free kicks with ease. A brilliant long-range shot by Mikhail Belenitsky 12 seconds before the end of the match reduced the Russians’ lead to “-2”, but in the end they failed to snatch the victory. The final score is 82:80.
Fenerbahçe failed to shoot three-pointers effectively (20%), while Paris Nizhny Novgorod’s long shots were one of their strongest points of the match (40%). The Russian club committed a significant number of fouls (30 to Fener’s 21) as the Turkish giants concentrated on playing inside the paint.
The most productive basketball player of the match was Jonathan Motley, who ultimately played a decisive role in Fenerbahçe’s victory. He managed to score 22 points off the bench. Among the Nizhny Novgorod players, it is worth highlighting defenseman Allen Brion, who scored 19 points.
Thus, the Turkish club took third place in the tournament, and Paris NN took fourth place.
Vladislav Emchenko and Boyan Dublevich
Photo: Press service of the VTB United League
Lokomotiv-Kuban – Zenit
VTB United League Super Cup. The end
September 24, 2023, Sunday. 20:00 Moscow time
Lokomotiv-Kuban
Krasnodar
Zenith
St. Petersburg
Lokomotiv-Kuban: Sherbenev, Akun-Purcell, Temirov, Martyuk, Elatontsev, Uzinsky, White, Kvitkovskikh, Morgan, Yemchenko, Bliznyuk
Zenit: Fraser, Gerasimov, Karasev, Volkhin, Zhbanov, Klimenko, Ertel, Dublevich, Morman, Zubkov, Kuric, Hunter
The Saint Petersburg team seemed much more confident in the early stages of the game. Zenit also showed the depth of its squad by effectively using almost every player in the rotation. The first quarter ended with the score 25:15.
In the second ten minutes the advantage of the team from the Neva bank continued to grow and at one point reached “+14”. But Lokomotiv decided to repeat the scenario of the match against Fenerbahçe and start a great comeback in the first half. Until half-time, the blue and white team could only maintain a small difference on the scoreboard: 45:41.
After the change of sides, Thomas Ertel and Kyle Kuric organized a 9:2 lead, which gave the team a comfortable score before the last quarter: 64:55.
However, the teams gave us a great finish. The last minute of the match became one of the most intense and dramatic of the entire tournament. Thanks to Kuric’s triple, the score stood at 83:77 in favor of those from Saint Petersburg, 37 seconds before the end. Then Alexander Shcherbenev made a long shot and reduced the lead to three points. After Pascual’s timeout, Krasnodar decided to put pressure on the opponent, which led to a turnover and subsequent triple by Okaro White.
The Zenit coach took another timeout and drew up a combination that worked. Six seconds in, Kuric shot from the middle, but was stopped by a foul. Kyle made both free throws, which ultimately became the final points of the final. Adrien Moerman blocked Shcherbenev’s final Loko attempt. The final score is 85:83.
The most productive player of the match was Kyle Kuric. Today he has 23 points. Okaro White stands out for Lokomotiv: 19 points and seven rebounds.
Zenit wins its second Super Cup, as well as its second consecutive preseason tournament. Favorites of the season?