UNICS will face Lokomotiv Kuban in the Semifinals up to 4 wins.
Series Schedule
Game 1. May 6, 19:00 (Moscow time), Kazan, Basket Hall
Game 2. May 8, 19:00 (Moscow time), Kazan, Basket Hall
Game 3. May 11, 14:00 (Moscow time), Krasnodar, Basket-Hall
Game 4. May 13, 19:30 (Moscow time), Krasnodar, Basket-Hall
Game 5. May 16, 19:30 (Moscow time), Kazan, Basket Hall*
Game 6. May 19, 14:00 (Moscow time), Krasnodar, Basket-Hall *.
Game 7. May 22, 19:00 (Moscow time), Kazan, Basket-Hall*.
* – if necessary.
Regular Season
UNICS: 1st place (26 wins and 10 losses)
Lokomotiv Kuban: 4th place (23 wins and 13 losses).
Rivalry
UNICS and Loko opened the current VTB League season. There was no intrigue in the opening game. The Kazan team was in great shape, but the opponent was having a hard time getting into playing pace. UNICS crushed the opponent from the very first minutes and got the win – 91:73.
But the second game became one of the highlights of the entire regular season. The first half replayed the previous game. UNICS had a 22-point lead at the start of the third quarter – 48:26. It looked like the Kazan team would easily pick up another win. But the Krasnodar team still managed to change of the game. At the beginning of the final quarter, the hosts caught up the opponent and achieved a win and the biggest comeback of the season – 82:75.
At the second stage of the regular season, the teams again exchanged home wins. In Kazan, UNICS took advantage of DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell abesnce. The hosts were able to take control and slow down the pace of the game and earned an important win – 80:76.
But in Krasnodar, Loko showed trademark game, and Akoon-Purcell led offense (25 points). He inspired a key run in the final quarter with 2 three-pointers that allowed Loko to keep the winning score – 90:82.
Why can UNICS win?
UNICS played the Quarterfinals in energy-saving mode. The Kazan team didn’t turn on full power, but wonall 3 games against Samara. UNICS approaching the Semifinal series with a near-perfect lineup (only Artem Komolov remains injured). In addition to the return of Kulagin and Knight, it’s also worth noting that Andrey Vorontsevich and Mikhail Belenitskii have also joined theroster well.
The leaders factor will be important for the Kazan team in the upcoming series. Nenad Dimitrijevic deservedly became the MVP of the regular season, Jalen Reynolds has improved considerably this year, Marcos Knight and Erick Green have played key roles on the team, and Louis Labeyrie is in great shape for the Playoffs. UNICS’ play depends on the individual skill of its star players.
And it’s worth noting the home court advantage that UNICS will have. This is an important factor. In the regular season, the teams won only at home, and that’s for good reason. In Krasnodar, the fans gave Loko an extra boost. In Kazan, UNICS was able to puse its play style. At the start of the series, Velimir Perasovic team will try to use that advantage and take the first 2 games of the Semifinals.
Why can Lokomotiv Kuban win?
The Krasnodar team approached the Playoffs fully prepared. Loko dominance in games against PARMA was one of the main surprises of the Quarterfinals. Loko used usual style in all series games. The team played aggressive defense, scored a lot of points on early offense. It’s extremely difficult to stop such Loko.
It’s also worth noting the excellent physical shape Loko is in before the Semifinals. The Krasnodar team looked much stronger from a physical standpoint against PARMA. The team was able to maintain a high pace for almost 40 minutes in each game.
Lokomotiv joker should be rookie Karvel Anderson. The Quarterfinals games showed that the guard seems to have found his team. He didn’t get much playing time, but he has already shown his potential. Throughout the season, Loko has suffered from a lack of consistent snipers, but with Anderson that problem may have been solved. In 3 games against PARMA, Karvel made 11 of 20 long-range shots (55.0%). The Krasnodar team offense is becoming more diverse and unpredictable.
X-Factor
The key to this Series will be pace. The teams havedifferent styles. UNICS will need to tight positional basketball, where combinations and leaders individual skill will make all the difference. The Krasnodar team will try to run, increase the pace and provoke their opponent into a run-and-gun. Loko has no equal in the entire League in such style.
