The reigning champions of the United League Super Cup avoided collapse. Zenit were saved by a new hero
Nikita Biryukov September 12, 2024, 19:40 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
Few would have thought that the match would develop in this way…
The VTB United League Super Cup 2024 started yesterday. The international tournament is being held in Moscow and the best clubs from Russia, Serbia and Turkey are taking part in it. The current winner of the Super Cup, Zenit St. Petersburg, entered the battle and was scheduled to play against Besiktas. UNICS did not experience any resistance from the Turkish team yesterday. Did the blue-white-blue team manage to calmly deal with the opponent? Read more about the match in the “Championship” article.
Zenit forward Omari Spellman was the first to score, tricking his opponent with a false play and hitting a three-pointer. The St. Petersburg club did not allow Besiktas to go crazy in attack: Vince Hunter blocked everyone in his path, and Xavier Moon, even with taller players, managed to take the ball out of their hands. The blue-and-whites organized a 7:0 run, after which the coach of the Turkish club Dusan Alimpievich took a time-out. It took Besiktas exactly four minutes to score the first points of the match. In turn, Spellman did not slow down at Zenit, which crossed the 10-point threshold in the first quarter. The defense of the Turkish team could not oppose anything to the tall man, who perfectly stretches on the court and has an excellent shot from any distance – in a word, the ideal fourth number in the reality of modern basketball. The Russian club did not feel the opponent at the start – 25:9.
In the second ten-minute period, Besiktas became more active from the first minutes: the players stopped the opponent’s combined attack, while often running quick counterattacks, which turned into fouls or easy points. Zenit had a second unit on the court, in which Dwayne Bacon stood out: the forward worked on both sides and in attack relied on his mid-range shots and passes, resulting in 10 points scored. But he is not a warrior on the field alone! The Turkish club established teamwork, and Kyle Allman and Conor Morgan became key figures in Besiktas’s advance, which won the quarter by 26:17.
The video can be viewed on the official VTB United League Telegram channel. The rights to the video belong to the VTB United League.
After the first half of the match, it seemed that the game was over, however, Besiktas showed character and regained the activity of the game. The team could not particularly fight with Hunter and Spellman under the basket, so they began to “water” from behind the arc. By the way, it was very successful: at the beginning of the third quarter, the Turkish club made three three-pointers in a row. Although Zenit missed a breakthrough, it came back into the game thanks to the efforts of Bacon, Spellman and Moon in attack. From time to time, Javier Pascual’s players resorted to individual actions, isolating themselves from the players, but it worked! But Besiktas continued to try to find success with long-distance shots. A very intense quarter, which ended with a victory for the black and whites by 25:21.
The start of the final quarter was in Zenit’s hands. Andrei Vorontsevich made a perfectly designed pass to Hunter and the center easily scored two points. After that, Vince blocked his opponent’s shot, and within a minute Moon scored from mid- and long-range. The St. Petersburg club led by eight points during the decisive period, but Besiktas, with its killer three-pointers, reduced the difference to two. The teams exchanged effective attacks. For a moment, the Turks took the lead on the scoreboard, but Zenit regained the advantage. The score is 81:80 and the blue-and-whites have the ball. Moon spent a long time near the center line, but decided not to share the glory with his teammates, but took the game into his own hands. He was fouled on the pass and the point guard sent two free throws on goal. The Istanbul club failed to organize a decent attack and Zenit finished the quarter tied at 20:20, but managed to win the match 83:80.
VTB United League Super Cup. Group B
September 12, 2024, Thursday. 17:00 Moscow time
Zenith
Saint Petersburg
Besiktas
Istanbul
Zenit: Luna – 21, Bacon – 21, Spellman – 15, Fraser – 12, Poythress – 6, Hunter – 5, Zhbanov – 3, Shcherbenev, Zakharov, Karasev, Ryzhov, Vorontsevich
Besiktas: Matthews – 17, Morgan – 13, Allman – 10, Needham – 10, Martin – 10, Terry – 7, Left – 5, Konan – 5, Arslan – 3, Elezay, Ugurlu, Aksu
Moon and Bacon each scored 21 points, but it was the former who became the hero, as in addition to his excellent performance, he excellently led the team’s offense (five assists) and was also useful on the rebound (four rebounds). For Besiktas, Jonah Matthews led the way with 17 points and three assists. The Turkish team, after a disastrous first quarter, recovered and gave a good fight to a strong rival. Alimpievich’s boys have a lot of character.
Moon made a strong impression on me. The point guard stands out for his explosive speed and excellent dribbling ability, as well as his ability to effectively manage the team’s offense. Despite his small stature, Xavier displays excellent defense and a lot of desire. He is a truly valuable acquisition for Zenit. Also worth mentioning are Spellman and Bacon. Spellman has a sure shot from any distance and can compete at the rim, while Bacon excels in passing lanes using his physical attributes.
Tomorrow, the team from the Neva will face UNICS for a place in the Super Cup final. The Kazan team defeated Besiktas, and Zenit won with difficulty, but in this crucial match the game may develop completely differently. We are looking forward to an exciting battle on the VTB Arena!
Results of the first day of play:
United League Super Cup: Loko lost 105 points to CSKA, UNICS beat a European club
