Lokomotiv Kuban defeated Uralmash in Quarterfinals Game 3 on the road – 112:68 (25:14, 34:23, 34:7, 19:24).
Game progress
Lokomotiv Kuban head coach Andrei Vedischev made major changes to the starting five compared to the previous game. The guests had 3 new players. This move had great effect. For the first time in the series, the Krasnodar team avoided fail in the opening quarter. The starting players gave Loko the lead, Antonius Cleveland and Isaiah Whaley increased it from the bench – 25:14.
The guests did not lose the initiative in second quarter. Aggressive defense and varied offense allowed Loko to further increase the lead. Already in the middle of the quarter, the difference between the teams was 20 points – 46:25. Andrei Vedischev team maintained confidence until halftime. The Krasnodar tea, finished the first half with a 22-point advantage – 59:37.
The halftime did not cool down the guests. Loko was still energized and continued to control tempo. The distance between the teams increased with every minute. Loko even had a 50-point lead – 96:44. In the remaining time, the Krasnodar team scored 100 points and took confident win.
X-factor
Defense was the key to Loko win. Uralmash was able to improve the stats only in the end of the game (24 points in the final quarter). In total, the hosts scored 68 points. At the same time, the Yekaterinburg team made 22 turnovers and made only 19 of 54 field-goals (35.2%).
Facts
Loko regained the lead in this series – 2-1.
Uralmash was defeated in the Playoffs at home for the first time in the VTB League club’s history.
Tahjere McCall set VTB League career-high 28 eff. points, John Jenkins had his first double-digit scoring performance in Loko (12 points).
Leaders
Uralmash: Jeremiah Martin (12), Octavius Ellis (11 + 8 rebounds), Kirill Novikov (11), Anton Kardanakhishvili (10).
Lokomotiv Kuban: Tahjere McCall (20), Antonius Cleveland (16 + 5 rebounds), Anton Kvitkovskikh (13 + 6 rebounds), John Jenkins (12), Isaiah Whaley (12).
What’s next
April 29 in Yekaterinburg.
