For those with more gray hair, tense clutch moments, and eggs once again: 10 key takeaways from the Super League's game week.

Dnipro Dominates in Leaders' Battle

Pavel Burenko's individual performance (33 points) was not enough for Kyiv-Basket to secure a win against the league leader. On January 23, Dnipro once again defeated Kyiv-Basket, this time in the capital.

Dmitry Zabirchenko's team "fought hard" against the reigning champion, but in the fourth quarter, they couldn't hold off their opponent, earning only 9 points in that period. Ultimately, the score was 63:72 in favor of Dnipro. Kovaly's team currently boasts a perfect record with 16 wins, while Kyiv-Basket has 14 victories and 5 losses.

Zaporizhzhia Wins Twice in Kyiv, Hosts Suffer Two Losses

Kyiv-Basket not only lost to Dnipro but also to Zaporizhzhia (62:72). After battling the champion, the hosts had no strength left for the second match of their home bubble. Neither moral nor physical. This marks the second consecutive defeat for the capital's basketball players against Plekhanov's team, with the "white-greens" previously defeating Kyiv-Basket 75:69 on December 22.

Before facing Kyiv, the Zaporizhzhia team played against the current last-place team, Prykarpattia-Hoverla. Despite a poor third quarter, Plekhanov's squad managed to secure a 61:53 victory.

Thus, despite captain Nikitin's injury, Zaporizhzhia leaves the capital's bubble with two victories. Overall, the team currently has 8 wins and 11 losses. In contrast, Kyiv-Basket has suffered two defeats on their home court, although they still have a significant advantage over Kryvbas, who are currently in third place.

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Kryvbas Now in Third Place

Alexander Vorona's team continues to impress. From being the main outsider in last season's championship, Kryvbas has transformed into a medal contender this year. At least, in the current standings, Kryvbas holds the third position.

Their success is largely attributed to two victories in the Rivne bubble. While the team's performance isn't flawless, the results speak for themselves. Over the weekend, Kryvbas managed to secure wins against Rivne and Staryi Lutsk. It wasn't without luck, but they pulled through! Currently, Kryvbas occupies the third position, though competitors are close behind.

The First Legionnaire of the "Monkeys" This Season

American guard Mike Dupree has arrived in Cherkasy from Hungary. "Signing Dupree is an important step for the Cherkasy Monkeys. With his vast experience and high scoring ability, Michael has every chance to become the team's leader and help the club reach new heights this season," reported the club's press service.

The American's signing is not a direct replacement for the injured Nazar Kholod, who will not play again this season. The coach and players of the "monkeys" complained about significantly limited rotation. This prompted the team's management to seek reinforcements. Despite being new to the team, Dupree performed well in the Rivne bubble, scoring 10 points against Staryi Lutsk and 12 against Rivne.

Crisis at Rivne?

Mykhailo Pereverzi's team had an unfortunate home bubble, losing two consecutive matches. The Rivne team continues to slide down the standings, now just one victory ahead of Zaporizhzhia. Moreover, the teams will face each other in a direct match this coming weekend.

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The reigning silver medalists are still plagued by an injury epidemic. As some players recover, others drop out. This time, universal player Ryaboy missed the home bubble. In their last eight matches, Pereverzi's squad has only won twice. However, it's not all doom and gloom: while Kyiv-Basket has distanced themselves, third-place Kryvbas is just one victory away.

Lutsk: Without Captain but With a Victory

The previous bubble was disappointing for Staryi Lutsk. The team returned from Ivano-Frankivsk with two losses, and captain Musiyenko suffered an injury, sidelining him from training and official matches. It seemed that the bubble in Rivne would not bring much success for the Volyn team either.

However, Dmitry Chaikovsky's team rallied and showed they could win even under crisis conditions. In the first bubble match, Staryi Lutsk secured a narrow 63:59 victory over Cherkasy Monkeys in a not-so-spectacular game. The Lutsk team led throughout the match, making the result well-deserved.

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Staryi Lutsk also had a chance to defeat Kryvbas, but in the final seconds, Chaikovsky's players made a series of individual mistakes that reignited the intrigue, leading to a game-winner by Vodolazskiy. Even with just one victory in two matches, it’s a solid result for Lutsk.

Klimov's Game-Winner and More

The aforementioned game-winning shot from Artem Vodolazskiy, which secured Kryvbas's victory against Staryi Lutsk, was not the only game-winner. In the same bubble, Cherkasy Monkeys player Igor Klimov clinched a win for his team.

Rivne, leading by a narrow margin, managed not only to miss points in their offense but also to lose track of Klimov, who sealed the victory with his buzzer-beater.

Individual Records for Burenko, Markiv, and Buts

As usual, this game week featured individual records. First on the list is the youngest player, Prykarpattia-Hoverla's Danil Markiv. The guard is receiving more playing time and is rewarding the coach's trust. In the match against Dnipro, he became the top scorer with 24 points, marking his career-best performance.

The best player of the previous game week, the captain of Kyiv-Basket, also set a new personal scoring record with 33 points in the match against Dnipro. Previously, Pavel's "personal best" was 28 points.

Rounding out this trio of record holders is Zaporizhzhia's center Anton Buts, who effectively faced Kyiv-Basket's big men in the absence of Nikitin and also performed well offensively. Anton recorded 19 points (8/16 from the field, 3/9 from three-point range), 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. This was his highest-scoring game of the season and matched his personal record for the number of successful long-range attempts.

National Team Player Bublyk – About Eggs

The expanded list of players for the crucial qualifying window has yet to be published, but it is already known that Mykhailo Bublyk, the league's top scorer, will be included. Additionally, the young Kryvbas guard may be remembered not only for his play but also for his interesting comments after matches.

What’s Happening in the Standings?

The current state of affairs in the standings is as follows: Dnipro is undeniably in first place. Kyiv-Basket, with a significant lead, is in second, while Hoverla is currently last, significantly trailing behind Staryi Lutsk.

Inside the standings, however, things are far from clear. This makes the conclusion of the championship even more intriguing. The upcoming game week, particularly the bubble in Dnipro, will slightly adjust the team standings, but it is already evident that the battle for advantageous positions will continue right up until the end of the regular season.