Depleted by the absence of Artur Drozdov, BC Kyiv have made a statement in game one of the Superleague playoffs, having defeated Pulsar Rivne 81:68.

Kyiv found it difficult to come with the pressure in the opening minutes and lost the first quarter 17:20 but managed to tie the score by halftime. Sasa Obradovic made the necessary adjustments during the intermission and his team took matter in their own hands in the third quarter. Aggressive defense and the increased pace of the game allowed them to go up by four at the end of the period and, using the momentum, they silenced the visitors in the fourth.

Nicola Vasic had a game high 19 points for Kyiv. Four more players scored in double-figures, including young Roman Dmytrenko, who hit a career-high 11 points.

“We have to forget about the wins we got in the regular season and concentrate on the playoffs now”, said Sasa Obradivic after the game. “Any coach will tell you that the first game of the series always puts pressure on you, add to it the absence of Artur Drozdov and you will understand why we didn’t look as confident as we needed to. We will analyze our mistakes tomorrow to make sure we don’t face similar problems on Saturday in game two”.