Efes in the Final
Anadolu Efes is the first foreign club in Super Cup history to reach the final. UNICS put up a tough fight against the EuroLeague team in the decisive Group B match and led at halftime; after three quarters, the score was tied at 65–65.
By distributing the workload evenly across its deep roster, Efes was able to pull ahead of its opponent in the final 10 minutes. Five players on the Kazan team—including two starters—failed to score a single point throughout the entire game. Efes also dominated the boards (42-29). And in the final minutes, Moscow once again witnessed a stellar performance by Mike James, who scored 13 consecutive points and thwarted all of the Russians’ attempts to keep the game close.
Respect
League President Sergey Kushchenko paid tribute to Efes for their strong performance in the Super Cup.
– Efes stands out for their attitude, the quality of their basketball, and their dedication on the court. Over the past two days, we’ve seen them play some wonderful basketball. That’s why we need to acknowledge and thank our partners—Anadolu Efes and the club’s management—for taking the Super Cup so seriously. I hope tomorrow’s final will be another highlight of the tournament.
Legends on the Court
A few hours before the main stars took the court at VTB Arena, the Super Cup Friends Match was held. League President Sergey Kushchenko, CEO Ilona Korstin, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, NBA champion Timofey Mozgov, Russian Basketball Federation President Andrei Kirilenko, Macedonian basketball legend Pero Antić, “Loko” President Andrei Vedishchev, as well as former United League players Sergey Monya and Sergey Bykov.
The Comeback
Xavier Rathan-Mayes, the top scorer of the 2023/34 season, on his return to the League:
– I’m really happy to be back in the League. It’s a special place, a special tournament. I received a very warm welcome. It’s great to be here again. I hope UNICS has a good season ahead. We have a new team, but in the Super Cup we took steps in the right direction and are laying the foundation. We’ll be just fine.
The Situation
Ahead of the decisive day of the group stage in Group A, the situation had become complicated. Loko would advance to the final if it defeated Igokea or lost by 5 points or fewer. The Bosnian club needed to beat the Krasnodar team by 15 points or more. If the margin had been between 6 and 14 points, inclusive, then CSKA would have faced Anadolu Efes in the championship game.
Loko Is the Second Finalist
Igokea made its intentions clear as early as the first quarter, when it built a double-digit lead. During the first half, the Bosnians pulled ahead by as many as 12 points. The Krasnodar team found a go-to player in Andrei Lopatin (12 points in 20 minutes). In the final minute of the second quarter, the forward scored 5 straight points and brought Loko closer to the final (-7).
After the teams switched sides, Kuban was unstoppable. The southerners picked up their trademark pace and began hitting shots from long range with consistency. Midway through the third quarter, following a three-pointer by Anton Kvitkovskikh, the Kuban team took the lead—and never gave it back. To make matters worse for Igokea, head coach Nenad Stefanović was ejected after receiving two technical fouls—a serious setback for a preseason tournament. After dominating the third quarter 29–11, Lokomotiv ultimately secured the victory and clinched a spot in the final.
Key Moment
UNICS’s new star duo in action: Jalen Reynolds’ buzzer-beater off a pass from Xavier Rathan-Mayes and the emotional reaction from the Kazan bench.
Super Cup decisive day
5th–6th Place Game – 1:00 p.m. Moscow time Igokea vs. Zenit
3rd–4th Place Match – 4:00 p.m. Moscow Time CSKA vs. UNICS
Final – 7:00 p.m. Moscow Time Lokomotiv-Kuban vs. Anadolu Efes.
