UNICS defeated Lokomotiv Kuban on the road in the Finals Game 3 – 82:81 (25-18, 19-30, 22-22, 16-11).
Game progress
The first half was almost identical to the previous game. Just as in the Game 2, UNICS took advantage of the offensive pressure, overwhelming Loko with quick pace, and by the fourth minute had already established a 15-point lead.
But the Krasnodar team recovered even faster than the previous time. Anton Kvitkovskikh and Vladislav Emchenko duo organised a comeback, and by the end of the opening quarter the hosts had cut the deficit to just 7 points. Loko took the initiative in the second quarter. The Krasnodar team foreigners led the hosts: Chris Horton and Jalen Barford kept UNICS defense busy time after time. After scoring 30 points in one quarter, Lokomotiv Kuban took their first lead by the halftime with DeVaughn Akoon-Pursell shot – 46:44.
In the third quarter, Loko stepped up the pressure, occasionally pulling ahead by 6-7 points, but Louis Labeyrie made and-one three-pointer and Jalen Reynolds scored twice from beyond the arc. With their actions, the guests trailed by only 4 by th eend of third quarter – 70:66.
Key moment
In the fourth quarter, defense came the key to success – tired teams focused on defense in the paint and individual actions in offense. With fewer mistakes, UNICS managed to increase their lead. The decisive possessions came in the end. With Loko lead – 81:80, the Kazan team executed a perfect inbounds pass to Marcos Knight, who cut the ball loose from his defender and gave UNICS the lead.
Aleksander Sekulic team had only 7 seconds to create a possession, but again, the guests defense held Loko off the ball inside the perimeter, and Barford missed a difficult three-pointer.
UNICS snatched an upset win on the road and took a 2-1 lead in the Series.
Key factor
Defense played the key role in the fourth quarter, and the outcome largely depended on who would take the shot on offense. Marcos Knight did just that, scoring 7 of UNICS’ 16 points and cold-bloodedly converting the winning shot.
Fact
Loko remains the road-winning team: Last time in this Playoffs, Lokomotiv won in Krasnodar on April 20 in the Semifinals Game 3 against CSKA.
Leaders
Lokomotiv Kuban: Jalen Barford (20 + 6 rebounds), Chris Horton (17 + 6 rebounds), Vladislav Emchenko (10), Aleksandr Shcherbenev (10 + 5 assists), Anton Kvitkovskikh (9 + 5 rebounds)
UNICS: Daryl Macon (14), Nenad Dimitrijevic (13 + 6 assists), Vyacheslav Zaitsev (12), Jalen Reynolds (11 + 6 rebounds), Louis Labeyrie (10 + 7 rebounds).
Next game: May 13 in Krasnodar
