The game began with Daniel Utomi spearheading Astana’s offense, but Enisey swiftly countered with a strong focus on three-point shooting—a challenge that Gleb Plotnikov’s team had to deal with throughout the game. Astana fought hard to keep pace, but by the end of the first quarter, the home team had built a +12 lead.
Astana started strong in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to -7, largely thanks to T.J. Starks, who created several key opportunities. Andrey Desyatnikov played a crucial role, maintaining an impressive 90% shooting percentage from mid-range (100% in the second quarter) and blocking Enisey’s attempts at driving to the basket. However, Galin Smith’s fourth foul complicated Astana’s rotation, and with Perevalov and Bliznyuk finding their rhythm, the visitors struggled to close the gap. Accurate three-point shooting was noticeably missing in the first half.
Enisey, however, had no such issues, opening the third quarter with more successful long-range shots, keeping their comfortable lead intact. Still, Astana remained competitive, battling for every possession. The deficit was cut slightly, with the team losing the quarter by just five points (17:12), showing strong resilience.
The final quarter started on a positive note for Astana, with a 6:11 run in their favor. The team improved its three-point shooting, as captain Rustam Murzagaliev and Vladislav Isayenko knocked down crucial shots. However, Enisey remained effective on offense, countering Astana’s efforts and preventing a full comeback.
Final Score:
Enisey – Astana 92:65 (27:15, 19:13, 17:12, 29:25)
Top Performers:
Astana: T.J. Starks (19 points, 4 rebounds), Andrey Desyatnikov (12 points, 7 rebounds), Askar Maydekin (9 points), Rustam Murzagaliev (8 points, 4 assists).
Gleb Plotnikov, Acting Head Coach of Astana:
“We completely lost the rebounding game. In basketball, you can teach a lot of things, but you can’t teach height and size. Enisey had significantly more shot attempts than us. Additionally, we struggled with our three-pointers and needed to share the ball more, which ultimately determined the outcome of the game. Our slow starts in the first quarter remain an issue, and we will continue to work on that.”
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