By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Despite a catastrophic start of the game, UNICS Kazan managed to recover in the second half and grab an 86-83 home win over Avtodor Saratov in VTB League. Unics improved to 7-5 compared to Saratov’s 4-7 record.
Alex Tyus led the charge with game-high 27 points on 11-15 shooting while adding eight rebounds. Jamar Smith followed with 19 points and was also the one to bank the game-winning three.
For Saratov, Markel Starks scored 24 in addition to Elgin Cook’s 20 points and nine rebounds.
Saratov dominated early on with a 19-0 start They led 25-11 at the end of the first quarter and 48-35 at halftime. However, UNICS was far from done. Led by Tyus, the hosts melted away Saratov’s lead and it was UNICS with the minimal 60-59 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The game stayed balanced throughout the final period (83-83) but Smith nailed the game-winner with 20 seconds remaining. Aleksandr Petenev had the chance to tie the game on the other side but didn’t make it.
Photo Credit: VTB United League