Zenit-2 levels the score in the Fonbet Super League semifinal series
The farm team of the blue-whites claimed victory in an incredibly intense and dramatic game against Temp-SUMZ, sending the Fonbet Super League semifinal series back to Revda. Here's a breakdown of the match.
Zenit-2’s starting five: Pavel Zemskiy, Ivan Prokopenko, Vladislav Samukhin, Daniil Aksenov and Mikhail Dulkay.
The first quarter immediately set a high pace. What we've seen multiple times in this series happened again in the opening of Game 4: both teams played attacking basketball on both ends of the court, taking turns in the lead. Zenit-2 were first to go ahead — Prokopenko and Dulkay led several effective offensive possessions. But after the midway point of the opening frame, Vostrikov and Khozyashev each drained a three-pointer to push Temp ahead. The quarter ended in a tight battle, but a three from Egor Evstafiev and accurate free throws from Elkhan Akhmedov allowed Zenit-2 to finish the first quarter in front — 28:25.
In the second quarter, Zenit-2 initially held onto the lead. A three-pointer and 2+1 from Aksenov and another deep shot by Evstafiev extended the advantage to eight points. However, the home team’s offense soon stalled, and Temp-SUMZ took advantage. The visitors slowly closed the gap and eventually pulled ahead. By halftime, they were in control of the game — 42:47.
The third quarter served as the buildup to the decisive showdown. One of the biggest highlights came from Pavel Zemskiy, who delivered a stunning performance by scoring 15 of the team’s 24 points in the quarter. Thanks to his efforts, Zenit-2 stayed in the game and cut the deficit to 66:68.
The final quarter was fiercely contested. Both teams traded baskets, and the lead kept changing. However, in the clutch, Zenit-2 showed composure and didn’t allow their opponents to steal the win. Tactical fouls in the last minute didn’t help Revda either. Final score — 84:79.
Top performers for Zenit-2 today were Pavel Zemskiy (24 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals), Daniil Aksenov (16 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds), Ivan Prokopenko (15 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal), Elkhan Akhmedov (10 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals)
Everything will be decided in the fifth and final game, which will take place on April 27 at the Temp sports complex. Tip-off is at 16:00 St. Petersburg time. The game will be streamed on the website of the Russian Basketball Federation.
