Zenit-2 loses to Khimki away
The match against the Moscow Region team was highly competitive, with the lead changing 11 times in the first three quarters. However, in the final stretch, the home team not only held on to their advantage but also extended it, securing a victory in the 27th round of the Fonbet Super League regular season. Despite the loss, Oliver Popovic's team remains in fourth place in the standings.
Starting five for Zenit-2: Egor Evstafiev, Maxim Karvanen, Vladislav Samukhin, Daniil Aksenov and Ivan Prokopenko.
The beginning of the match played out very differently for both teams. The hosts confidently converted their chances, increasing their lead attack by attack, while the Saint Petersburg side struggled offensively. In the first three minutes, Zenit-2 managed only an "and-one" play by Prokopenko. With the score at 10:3, Oliver Popovic called the first timeout. After the short break, the blue-whites' next possession ended with a successful mid-range shot from Evstafiev, followed by Samukhin stepping up. The center player made three successful drives in a row, sealing an 8:0 run for Zenit-2 and putting his team in the lead for the first time in the match. From then on, the game evened out, with both teams battling on equal footing. Substitutions from both sides kept the tempo high. For Khimki, center Denis Vikentiev made a strong impact off the bench, while for the visitors, guard Artem Khodorich first delivered a perfect assist to Prokopenko for a three-pointer and later capitalized on a putback after a teammate’s miss. The lead changed multiple times, but by the first break, the score was tied — 16:16.
In the second quarter, Khimki once again demonstrated aggressive and effective basketball, building a comfortable lead. A six-point deficit forced the blue-whites' coaching staff to call another timeout. Once again, the break disrupted the home team’s rhythm: a two-pointer and a three-pointer from Aksenov helped Zenit-2 narrow the gap to a minimum. His performance kept the visitors in the fight — by halftime, Daniil had scored 10 points and dished out 4 assists. Khimki, on the other hand, were led by guard Fedor Klyuchnikov (also with 10 points). Both teams played competitive basketball, with the hosts holding a slim lead of one possession at halftime. The margin could have been larger, but Prokopenko’s excellent drive and buzzer-beater in the final seconds kept it close — 42:40.
After the break, unlike the previous quarters, Zenit-2 started much more confidently. Oliver Popovic's squad went on an 8:2 run to take the lead: Samukhin hit from beyond the arc, Khodorich added two points and Karvanen finished a drive. Karvanen was the team’s leader in the third quarter, scoring 8 points in that stretch. However, after this strong surge, the visitors suffered a slump, which the home team immediately capitalized on. Khimki regained the lead and established a comfortable advantage in the range of 3–8 points, which they carried into the final ten minutes — 64:59.
The last quarter promised to be intense, but while Khimki maintained their usual pace, Zenit-2 faced serious struggles in finishing their shots. Midway through the period, the visitors had only managed a couple of free throws, a drive from Karvanen, and a made free throw by Prokopenko. This was far from enough to keep up the fight. The home team, on the other hand, continued to increase their lead — first to 12 points, then even more. The decisive factor was the visitors' poor shooting accuracy. Zenit-2 was strong in mid-range shots (26 out of 41 two-pointers, 63.4%), but struggled significantly from long distance — making only 5 out of 32 attempts (15.6%). In the end, Khimki confidently closed out the match, winning with a final score of 91:78.
The top scorers for Zenit-2 were Maxim Karvanen (18 points + 7 rebounds + 2 assists + 1 steal + 1 block), Ivan Prokopenko (17 points + 5 assists + 3 rebounds) and Daniil Aksenov (13 points + 6 assists + 3 rebounds + 1 steal).
In the next round of the Fonbet Super League, Zenit-2 will play its final away game of the regular season. The match against Universitet Yugra will take place on March 10 in Surgut. Tip-off is at 17:00 Saint Petersburg time. The game will be streamed on the Russian Basketball Federation's website.
