Zenit loses to CSKA on home court
The blue-whites were defeated by Moscow’s CSKA in the fifth game of the 2024/25 VTB United League finals. Here’s a detailed report on today’s matchup.
Georgy Zhbanov, Trent Frazier, Dwayne Bacon, Vince Hunter and Andrey Vorontsevich started the game from the very first seconds.
A precise three-pointer from Casper Ware put the visitors ahead right at the start. However, almost immediately the match entered a period of tough positional play on both halves of the court. The teams mainly scored from the free-throw line but struggled to score from the field for a long time. Zenit’s solid defense at this stage was led by Georgy Zhbanov, who returned after injury and intercepted balls from the opponents, often being first to rebound on defense. This tight play under their own basket paid off offensively as well: Andrey Vorontsevich first scored on a drive, then hit a three-pointer, and Vince Hunter scored twice under the basket — the blue-whites pulled ahead. However, CSKA didn’t lose their grip and managed to stop the surge of the St. Petersburg, temporarily restoring the tie. Despite a high pace towards the end of the quarter, both teams suffered from low shooting efficiency, with the ball refusing to drop. This was reflected in the score — 16:15 in favor of Zenit.
The second quarter began with a barrage of long-range shots: after Okaro White’s elegant three, the Moscow team responded with a basket from Anton Astapkovich. Then the home team leader Dwayne Bacon confirmed his accuracy from the perimeter, while CSKA’s guard Aleksa Avramovic also scored a three-pointer. The teams displayed equal struggle throughout the ten minutes, trying not to let their rivals gain a significant advantage. So when Trent Frazier hit a long-range shot giving Zenit a 4-point lead, CSKA’s head coach Andreas Pistiolis immediately called a timeout. After adjustments, the visitors increased pressure and briefly took the lead. But Trent Frazier quickly restored fairness: the Petersburg guard scored two consecutive three-pointers, returning his team’s confident lead. After the next timeout, the "army team” executed a combination that reduced the gap to one possession — teams went to the break with the score 40:38.
The third quarter started with a 5:0 run by the guests. But the CSKA momentum was immediately halted by effective actions from Dwayne Bacon, who added another long-range and mid-range shot to his tally. The game continued at this slow-burning pace for a long time: Zenit pulled ahead — CSKA caught up, and this happened several times. Bacon was unstoppable. The American forward led his team forward. Meanwhile, tensions on the court escalated. For Zenit, Hunter and Bacon received technical fouls, while for CSKA, Jekiri added an unsportsmanlike foul to his technical and left the CSC Arena court. Despite all the emotions, the blue-whites maintained their lead. Before the final quarter, Zenit was ahead 67:61.
The final ten minutes started with a 9:2 run by the hosts, significantly increasing the lead. But the Moscow team did not give up and quickly reduced the deficit from "-13" to the minimum. The decisive clutch was set to be intense. In the last minutes, the lead changed several times, but CSKA ended up closer to victory. The final score — 84:89.
The top scorers for the blue-whites today were Dwayne Bacon (24 points + 3 rebounds + 1 steal), Alexey Shved (17 points + 4 rebounds + 3 assists + 1 steal) and Trent Frazier (16 points + 3 assists + 1 rebound + 1 block).
The series returns to Moscow next Monday. The sixth game of the VTB United League finals will take place on June 9 at the Megasport Arena. Tip-off is at 19:30 St. Petersburg time.
