Zenit-2 loses to Khimki in the second away match
The reserve team of Zenit lost to Khimki in the second game of the series for third place in the Fonbet Super League. More details about the match are in our report.
The team captain Elkhan Akhmedov, Ivan Prokopenko, Ilyas Abdul, Vladislav Samukhin and Artem Khodorich started the game against Khimki from the very first seconds.
The match began with intense competition. The teams alternated leading and delighted the spectators with bright moments, such as the elegant three-pointers by Zenit players Akhmedov and Prokopenko or the stunning dunk by Khimki forward Kirill Popov. However, after the midway point of the quarter, the hosts made a decisive 10:1 run, opening a significant gap on the scoreboard. This did not unsettle the blue-whites team, and they responded with their own successful series of attacks: Mikhail Dulkay scored with a putback, Ilya Krivyh drove to the basket for a layup, and Daniil Aksenov, back on the court after missing the first game, hit free throws. The first quarter ended with Khimki leading 27:23.
After a short break, another drive by Krivyh, along with three-pointers from Aksenov, Dulkay and Akhmedov, allowed Zenit-2 to equalize and get back into the game after a slight dip in the previous period. A real shooting duel unfolded on the court, with both teams exchanging accurate shots, scoring a combined 25 points in the first two and a half minutes. This rapid start forced the Khimki coaching staff to call a timeout to cool things down. However, even after the timeout, the blue-whites team continued to attack from beyond the arc, with Dulkay hitting another three-pointer and Khodorich scoring his first points. Nevertheless, some defensive and offensive imbalances started to show in Zenit's play, allowing Khimki to regain a comfortable lead. The teams went to the break with Khimki ahead 54:48.
The second half started extremely tough for Oliver Popovic's team. The yellow-blues quickly gained a double-digit lead, which played a key role in the further course of the game. The game turned into a tug of war, with Zenit-2 trying to reduce the deficit, but Khimki confidently maintained their advantage — 79:71 before the final quarter.
The last period went in Khimki's favor. The high-scoring performance of the trio Maltsev-Popov-Klyuchnikov not only secured the hosts' final victory but also significantly increased their lead. Despite battling under the basket and crucial points from Zenit's big men, they were unable to fully challenge Oliver Popovic's team — 101:85 in favor of Khimki.
The most productive player for Zenit-2 in today's game was Ivan Prokopenko, who scored 18 points, grabbed 6 rebounds and did 1 assist.
Now, the battle for the bronze moves to St. Petersburg. The third game will take place on May 11 at the Zenit Basketball Academy (Severnaya Road, 12). The match will begin at 18:00 local time. Entrance for fans is free.
