CSKA Moscow earned a hard-fought 86-77 home victory over BC Nizhny Novgorod in a VTB United League classic. The Russian powerhouse used a strong second-half performance to pull away from a determined Nizhny Novgorod side at the Megasport Arena. The first half was a tightly contested defensive battle, with CSKA holding a narrow lead. After halftime, the experience and depth of the Moscow club began to show, as they executed their half-court offense with greater precision and tightened their defensive rotations. A key third-quarter run, sparked by CSKA's veteran guards, opened up a double-digit lead that Nizhny Novgorod could never fully close. The visitors fought until the end, cutting the deficit to single digits in the final minutes, but CSKA made their free throws down the stretch to seal the win. This result was a typical display of CSKA's championship pedigree, finding a way to win even when not at their dazzling best, and it kept them at the top end of the league table.