Zenit will face Lokomotiv Kuban in the 3rd Place Series up to 3 wins.
Series Schedule
Game 1. May 25, 13:00 (Moscow time), St. Petersburg, Sports palace “Ybileyny”
Game 2. May 27, 19:30 (Moscow time), St. Petersburg, Sports palace “Ybileyny”
Game 3. May 30, 19:30 (Moscow time), Krasnodar, SC Basket-Hall.
Game 4. June 1, 14:00 (Moscow time), Krasnodar, SC Basket-Hall.
Game 5. June 4, 19:30 (Moscow time), St. Petersburg, KSC Arena *
* – if necessary.
Regular Season
Zenit: 2nd place (26 wins and 10 losses)
Lokomotiv-Kuban: 4th place (23 wins and 13 losses).
Season Rivalry
In the teams’ first game of the season, defense was the determining factor. In a tight game in Krasnodar, the hosts won. Jaylen Barford and Vladislav Emchenko allowed the Krasnodar team to take the lead in the end. The St. Petersburg team could pull out a win in the final seconds, but Adrien Moerman missed three-pointer – 69:67.
Loko also won the second game. This time there was no nervous ending. The Krasnodar team took the lead in the second quarter. Then the phenomenal play of Andrey Martiuk (32 points) allowed the guests to gain a 17-point lead, after which Loko got a confident win – 93:73.
But in the next game the St. Petersburg team managed to take a more than convincing revenge. Zenit had a brilliant second half at home. The hosts scored 57 points in 20 minutes and left their opponents no chance. By the end, Zenit lead had reached 39 points – 106:67.
The St. Petersburg team won the 4th game. The Krasnodar team again struggled, and in the very end, Kyle Kuric three-pointer gave Zenit the lead – 82:79. The remaining 38 seconds, there were free-throws only, the guests even increased the lead – 91:86.
Why can Zenit win?
Zenit is very unsable in the current Playoffs. The team barely defeated Uralmash in the Quarterfinals – the Series stretched to 5 games – and couldn’t stop CSKA in the Semifinals. At the same time, the St. Petersburg team has perhaps the most star roster in the League.
The leadership factor was key in the Semifinals between UNICS and Loko. The Kazan team top players led by the unstoppable Nenad Dmitrievic were able to stop Loko due to their individual skill. Zenit coaching staff will try to play the same way. There are plenty of great performers in the St. Petersburg team. Thomas Heurtel, Vince Hunter, Sergey Karasev and Trent Frazier wil play leaders’ roles.
Why can Lokomotiv Kuban win?
The Krasnodar team will try to win the Series due to better physical condition. In addition, Zenit has problems with injuries, so Xavi Pascual is forced to use a limited rotation.
It looks like Loko ae approaching the 3rd Place Series in better conditions. In the case of Loko, that could well be a key factor. The Krasnodar team plays intense basketball with aggressive defense and quick transitions. If Zenit won’t be able to avoid pressure and let their opponent run, Loko will win.
X-Factor
The key to this Series will be the pace control and physical condition of the teams. The X-factor, on the other hand, will be the long-range shots. The Krasnodar team will try to shut down the opponents’ shooters, and thus shut down Zenit offense.
By the way, the three-point factor has also become relevant for the Krasnodar team in elimination games. Previously, the team wasn’t fcoused too much on three-pointers, but with Karvel Anderson, this offensive option has become much more important. In the Playoffs, Loko players had more long-range shots than in the regular season (27.1 – 23.6), having a better percentage (35.1% – 33.0%), and as a result, making a lot more three-pointers (9.5 – 7.8).
