Dnipro made an impressive comeback in the third match against the Monkeys and became the second finalist of the Favbet Super League. The results of the match were reported by the Basketball Federation of Ukraine, UNN reports.
The decisive third match of the Favbet Super League semifinal series between Dnipro and Cherkasy Monkeys was to determine the second finalist of the championship after BC Rivne. The rivals exchanged road victories, and today's match had a thrilling storyline and ended with Dnipro's victory with an impressive comeback - 78:73.
Details
The federation said that the match began with an unexpectedly powerful 14-0 (!) run by the Monkeys in the first four and a half minutes. The starting lead allowed the guests to confidently take the first quarter - 28:15. It is noted that Andriy Agafonov scored 13 points at the beginning of the game, adding 6 rebounds to his contribution.
At the start of the N2 quarter, the Dnipro team finally managed a 7-0 run, which allowed the home team to reduce their deficit. However, at the quarter's equator, the Monkeys managed to regain a +13 advantage. They went to the break as the favorite of the confrontation - 41:24, and Andriy Agafonov scored a double-double in 20 minutes: 22 points + 11 rebounds. At the same time, Dnipro as a team scored only 2 points more than Andriy in the first half.
In the opening three minutes of the third quarter, Volodymyr Koval's team was unable to score at all. Dnipro had to make a comeback from -19, and at the quarter's equator, the regular season winner cut its deficit in half. However, the Monkeys managed to cool down the Dnipro team's ardor a bit with a series of shots from the perimeter. They went into the last break with a +14 lead.
The sports department noted that the pause before the decisive quarter due to an air raid lasted 40 minutes and benefited Dnipro, which started with an 8-0 run. Volodymyr Koval's team seized the initiative and equalized in the 34th minute after an accurate three-point shot by Maksym Zakurdaiev (58:58).
The Dnipro guard became the real hero of the game, scoring 18 points in the final quarter. It was his shot that gave Dnipro the first lead in the game, and it was Maxim who put the game-winning point for his team.
So, in total, Maxim Zakurdaiev had 22 points, Stanislav Timofeenko - 18, and Volodymyr Konev - 17.
Andriy Agafonov was the most productive player for the Monkeys by a wide margin with 27 points. In addition, the Cherkasy center grabbed 13 rebounds.
Optional
In the final series, Dnipro will play BC Rivne, and Cherkasy Monkeys will meet Kyiv-Basket in the bronze medal game.
Super League. Playoffs, 1/2 finals, third match
Dnipro, KSC Shynnyk
Dnipro - Cherkasy Monkeys 78:73 (15:28, 9:13, 18:15, 36:17) / match statistics
Dnipro: Zakurdaiev 22 + 6 assists + 4 steals, Timofeenko 18 + 9 rebounds, Konev 17 + 6 rebounds, Bondarchuk 7, Gorobchenko 0 - start, Sorochan 5, Sipalo 4, Dubonenko 3 - 4 losses, Koldomasov 2, Tarasenko 0.
Monkeys: Agafonov 27 + 13 rebounds, Boone 16 + 5 rebounds + 6 assists + 4 steals, Marchenko 8, Tishchenko 7, Novikov 6 + 5 rebounds - start, Ruslov 9, Kuznetsov 0.
Recall
Earlier UNN wrotethat in the semifinals of the playoffs BC Rivne defeated Kyiv-Basket and reached the final of the Favbet Basketball Super League. "Rivne met the winner of the Dnipro-Cherkasy Monkeys match in the final, while Kyiv-Basket will play in the bronze medal round.