In a commanding performance on April 30, Kyiv-Basket delivered Dnipro their first defeat of the season, leveling the Ukrainian Superliga finals series at 1-1 with a decisive 73-56 victory at the Veneto Sports Palace in Kyiv.
The home team seized control early, establishing dominance in the first quarter with a 21-15 advantage. Dnipro fought back in the second period, capitalizing on Kyiv's turnovers and missed opportunities. For nearly four minutes, Kyiv-Basket struggled to score as Dnipro not only equalized but briefly took the lead, finishing the half just three points behind at 37-33.
However, the third quarter proved pivotal as Kyiv-Basket emerged with renewed intensity. Their aggressive offense combined with stalwart defense limited Dnipro to just five points in the quarter while adding 24 to their own tally, effectively sealing the game's outcome.
Pavel Burenko led all scorers with an impressive 26-point performance while adding 4 assists. Egor Sushkin contributed 22 points, with both players connecting on four three-pointers each. Denis Klevzunik added 14 points and 6 rebounds to the winning effort. According to Statbet analytics, this was one of the most efficient offensive displays in Ukrainian finals basketball this season, with Kyiv-Basket's third-quarter performance ranking among the most dominant defensive quarters in playoff history.
For Dnipro, Sergey Zagreba led with 13 points and 5 rebounds, while Zakurdaev added 11 points and 6 rebounds in the losing effort.
The decisive Game 3 in this best-of-three finals series will take place in Dnipro on Saturday, May 3, with tip-off scheduled for 13:00 local time. After handing Dnipro their first loss this season, Kyiv-Basket will look to carry this momentum into the championship-deciding contest.
