UNICS defeated CSKA at home – 86:80 (16:19, 27:11, 26:22, 17:28).
Game progress
The guests got off to a strong start. Solid defense and aggressive play by Melo Trimble and Ivan Ukhov allowed CSKA to take the lead – 11:4. The Kazan team managed to regain the initiative after a timeout by Velimir Perasovic. The Volga team stepped up defensive intensity, with Ty Brewer and Ruslan Abdulbasirov making strong contributions off the bench (22 points combined in the first half), and Dmitry Kulagin excelling as the playmaker (6 assists). All these factors helped UNICS confidently take control of the second quarter. The hosts went into halftime with a double-digit lead—43:30.
Key moment
Brewer and Abdulbasirov allowed UNICS to extend its lead even further in the third quarter—69:52. But the suspense in the game wasn’t over yet. In the final quarter, the Moscow team took the initiative and began methodically cutting the deficit. With 2.5 minutes left, Semen Antonov cut CSKA’s deficit to 4 points—72:76. But the Moscow team was unable to make the decisive run. In the closing moments, the hosts were led by long-range shots from Brewer, Kulagin and Paris Lee.
X-Factor
The absence of Jalen Reynolds and Alexey Shved limited UNICS’ coaching staff’s rotation options. But in the end, bench players made huge impact contribution to the win. Brewer, Abdulbasirov and Lee all scored 10+ points, combining for 53 of the team’s 86 points. For Abdulbasirov, this game was the best of his career (19 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 32 eff. points).
Facts
UNICS ended CSKA’s 18-game winning streak. The Moscow team streak began right after the previous loss in Kazan.
With today’s win, the hosts gets closer to CSKA in the standings
Despite the loss, the Moscow team maintained advantage over UNICS. Both teams have 2wins, but CSKA has a better point differential (+8).
Leaders
UNICS: Ty Brewer (23 points, 5 rebounds), Ruslan Abdulbasirov (19 points, 10 rebounds), Dyshawn Pierre (13 points), Dmitry Kulagin (11 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds), Paris Lee (11 points, 6 assists)
CSKA: Ivan Ukhov (22 points, 6 rebounds), Livio Jean-Charles (18 points, 9 rebounds), Casper Ware (11 points, 7 assists), Melo Trimble (10 points)
What’s next
UNICS: March 19 on the road against BETCITY PARMA
CSKA: March 19 on the road versus Avtodor.
