Won the third quarter, but It wasn’t enough

The game began on a high note for «Astana,» with two quick attacks giving the team an early lead. «Samara» took some time to settle, but their stronger two-point shooting percentage in the first half (52% vs. 40%) gave them the edge. «Astana» made several attempts to close the 10-point gap, with Danila Pokhodaev and Vadim Shcherbak hitting key three-pointers to keep the team in the game.

In the second quarter, center Andrey Desyatnikov was a standout, contributing 7 points with 100% accuracy from mid-range and making impactful plays on defence. A highlight of the quarter was his thunderous alley-oop dunk from a perfect lob by Magzhan Sarsengaliyev—undoubtedly one for the week’s Top 10 plays. Daniel Utomi did his best to carry the team late in the quarter, but «Samara» had the sharper shooting, putting «Astana» at a significant disadvantage.

A Stellar Third Quarter
Gleb Plotnikov’s squad showed incredible resilience in the third quarter, delivering one of their strongest performances of the season. The team’s coordination improved visibly, with the spotlight on intense competition between centres Popov and Desyatnikov. Alexander Orazbekov knocked down some clutch three-pointers, narrowing the deficit to just 10 points and reigniting hopes for a comeback.

To stay in the fight, «Astana» needed to carry the third-quarter energy into the final stretch, avoid turnovers, and tighten up on defence against «Samara’s» shooters. Unfortunately, they couldn’t sustain the pace.

Fighting Until the End
Despite the scoreline, there were flashes of brilliance on offence. Ruslan Aitkali and Daniel Utomi delivered eye-catching fadeaway shots, while Isaenko and Pokhodaev combined for an impressive play. The game ended on a high note for Alexander Orazbekov, who achieved a personal career-high in the VTB United League. However, it wasn’t enough to prevent a loss to «Samara.»

Final Score:
Astana — Samara 59:81 (12:25, 10:19, 24:18, 13:19)


Top Performers:
Astana: Daniel Utomi (17 points, 7 rebounds), Andrey Desyatnikov (11 points, 5 rebounds), Alexander Orazbekov (12 points)

Samara: Ilya Popov (15 points, 5 rebounds), Anton Kardanakhishvili (14 points), Gleb Goldyrev (11 points, 5 rebounds)
Postgame Comments

Gleb Plotnikov, Acting Head Coach of «Astana»:
«We lost control of the boards today, and it cost us. You can’t win games when you give up eight offensive rebounds, commit turnovers, and shoot just 21% from three. We’ll keep working to get better. We need to play with the intensity we showed in the third quarter throughout the whole game and stay composed when things don’t go our way.»

Andrey Desyatnikov, Center for «Astana»:
«I don’t think the points matter much since we lost the game. A huge thank you to our fans for showing up—it means a lot to us. Today, we struggled with offensive rebounds, lacked defensive intensity, and missed key shots. The third quarter was the closest we got to the level of basketball we want to play, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to get the win.»