UNICS Kazan claimed a hard-fought overtime victory over Zenit St. Petersburg in the opening match of the VTB United League playoff semifinals. The game, held in Kazan, ended with a score of 107-104 (23:18, 15:26, 29:17, 23:29, 17:14 in OT).
Deishawn Pierre led UNICS with 27 points, while Jalen Reynolds contributed 23 points for the home side. For Zenit, Luka Šamanić was the top scorer with 28 points.
The best-of-seven series continues with Game 2 in Kazan on Wednesday.