PARMA beat UNICS in Kazan – 72:70 (21:17, 11:13, 22:19, 18:21).

Game progress
The first half did not please the fans with scoring basketball – the defense was the key. Both teams scored points mainly through individual actions and managed to score just over 60 points combined by the halftime, the guests had the lead – 32:30.

In the third quarter, PARMA continued to control the game. With such a tight game, the guests’ 5-point difference looked like a significant advantage by the start of the final quarter.

Key moment
However, Erick Green and Nenad Dimitrijevic had a different opinion. Midway through the fourth quarter, the duo exploded with three-pointers and made 9 straight points to tie the score – 63:63. The teams got into a clutch. Reese made a three-pointer at first, then made an assist to Stanislav Ilnitskiy. C.J. Bryce increased the difference to 4 points.

Dimitrijevic tried his best to get the game back on track. His 5 points in the end helped UNICS get within 1 point – 72:70, the Kazan team had final possesssion. But the Macedonian guard attempt to force at least overtime was failed: Dimitrijevic and Ismael Bako didn’t understand each other and the guard made a turnover. With a 1.5 second remaining, the hosts didn’t even have enough time to make foul. PARMA won the 2nd straight game and got closer to Enisey.

X-factor
In a so equal game the cost of each turnover was multiplied. UNICS’ 16 turnovers against the guests’ 11 became a decisive factor, with Dimitrijevic last tunrover finally moved all questions about the winner of the game.

Fact
In the 17-game rivalry history PARMA has won only 2 times – both wins date back to the 2018/19 season. The 3rd win was achieved almost 5 years later.

This season, Evgeny Pashutin team is rightfully considered a formidable favorite. The Perm team beat CSKA, UNICS and Lokomotiv Kuban (and were also close to win  in their first game against the Army team), and lost only in overtime against Zenit.

Isaiah Reese set a new United League career-high with 28 points.

Leaders
UNICS: Nenad Dimitrijevic (21 + 7 assists), Marcos Knight (15 + 5 rebounds + 4 steals), Erick Green (13 + 5 rebounds), Ismael Bako (2 + 8 rebounds + 5 blocks), Louis Labeyrie (4 + 6 rebounds).
PARMA: Isaiah Reese (28), B.J. Johnson (13), Richard Solomon (4 + 7 rebounds), Ruslan Abdulbasirov (6 + 5 rebounds).

What’s next
UNICS (16-6): January 20 at home versus Zenit
PARMA (12-10): January 20 at home against Ensiey.