BC "Pari NN" lost narrowly to "Zenit-2" in the Russian Cup.

      08 January 2026 09:30 Sports

      Basketball club "Zenit-2" secured a hard-fought victory over "Pari Nizhny Novgorod" in the first match of the Russian Cup quarterfinals. According to Pari NN's social media, the game took place on January 7 in St. Petersburg and ended 84:83 in favor of the home team.

      The St. Petersburg side controlled three quarters, seizing the initiative from the start: 23:20, 26:21 and 25:16. However, in the final period the Nizhny Novgorod team managed to regroup and cut the deficit — winning the fourth quarter 26:10 — but it was not enough to turn the result.

      Despite the defeat, Pari NN head coach Sergey Kozin paid respect to the opponent, noting the energy and mindset of Zenit-2's young players.

      "I think the result is not that bad. Congratulations to Zenit-2: young, hungry guys came out and showed the energy a team should play with. We, unfortunately, again failed to learn from past mistakes — we started casually and were punished for it," Kozin said.

      He added that his team showed true basketball only in the fourth quarter, when they managed to get back into the game and even create winning opportunities. However, according to the coach, everything is still ahead: "The tie consists of two matches. Everything will be decided in the second game."

      The return match (6+) between Pari NN and Zenit-2 will take place on January 28.

      Earlier it was reported that Pari NN started 2026 with a win, beating Yenisey Krasnoyarsk on the road.

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