The clash of the best teams in the group was all about defence and saw Slovenia in the lead throughout the game, notably with a strong performance by Erazem Lorberk, who was Slovenia's best with 14 points.

It all boiled down to the final quarter in which Slovenia were struggling with a poor shooting percentage, trying to offset it with rebounds, which however only have statistical value.

While power forward Andrey Vorontsevich kept Russia in the game with 18 points, it was a difficult jump shot and the first regular points in the game by Sergey Monya that secured Russia their first lead and at the same time the victory 0.2 seconds before the final buzzer.

Slovenia have nonetheless secured entry into the second phase of the tournament, taking with them one win, compared to Russia's two. The next three opponents of the Slovenian team will be clear after today's concluding games in Group C.