Poythress’ double-double helps Zenit crush Nizhny on Dulkay’s debut day
This season, every trip to the Volga has ended in a blowout for the Blue-White-Sky Blues. On October 15, Aleksander Sekulic’s team put on a masterclass in Samara, scoring 113 points, and this Friday they steamrolled Pari Nizhny Novgorod in Nagorniy Arena — 84:64.
Before the game, everyone was talking about the Volga side’s difficult situation due to numerous injuries. Even the absence of Evgeny Baburin means a lot for Sergey Kozin’s team, which lately has been forced to come up with new ways to play without its leaders.
The visitors came out flying, taking a 9:2 lead thanks to a three-pointer by Vorontsevich, Poythress free throws, and Randolph’s effective play. Alex was unstoppable that evening, eventually recording a double-double — 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks. An impressive stat line that clearly made the American center, wearing number 22, the best player of the game. From the middle of the first quarter, the home team looked confused on both ends of the court. Two threes from Emchenko and one from Zhbanov made the score alarming for Kozin — 7:20.
In the second quarter, Zenit kept increasing the pressure. A long-range shot from Zemskiy, hard-earned points by Martiuk and Shcherbenev, and tireless work under the rim by Poythress made the score look downright indecent — 15:36. Alex showed no signs of slowing down, continuing to dominate in the paint and piling up points one after another. The halftime score — 24:47.
After the break, Randolph became the most active player, continuing his strong run of away performances. He was Zenit’s best player in Samara, and Nizhny Novgorod fans will surely remember his game for a long time. His mid-range fadeaway jumper will likely haunt local basketball enthusiasts in their dreams. In contrast, Frazier’s low scoring output stood out against Zenit’s otherwise strong team performance. Trent is still regaining his form after an injury, and will surely return to top shape soon. However, in this game, the American missed all five of his three-point attempts…
Realizing that the game was already decided, Zenit loosened their grip a bit, allowing Nizhny to get back into it. After the match, Sekulic said that at some point, a few players stopped playing team basketball. That was indeed the case, but Nizhny still couldn’t mount a comeback — Zenit’s lead remained comfortable even when they eased off.
The main event of the game, besides Poythress’ achievement, was the debut of Zenit Basketball Academy product Mikhail Dulkay in the VTB United League during the fourth quarter. That evening, Sekulic also gave playing time to two other Academy players — Ilya Krivykh and Pavel Zemskiy. Joining them was Semen Burinskiy, currently playing for Pari Nizhny Novgorod on loan. Thus, four Zenit Academy players took the court that night.
Zenit’s next game will take place in Saint Petersburg on October 29 as part of the VTB United League. Their opponent will be BETCITY PARMA from Perm. Tickets are already on sale.
