UNICS Kazan defeated Enisey Krasnoyarsk on the road, 93-89 (25-18, 27-24, 22-28, 19-19).
Top Scorers
Enisey: Zabian Dowdell (27 + 7 ast), Alexander Gudumak (13), Suleiman Braimoh (12 + 6 reb)
UNICS (Jamar Smith (16), Stephane Lasme (15), Melvin Ejim (14 + 7 reb + 3 stl), Evgeny Kolesnikov (14), Quino Colom (13 + 7 ast)
Story
Fast breaks, pick-and-rolls and an aggressive start from Melvin Ejim on offense helped Kazan seize control early on. Jamar Smith also had an impact, knocking down a series of shots to put UNICS on top, 31-21, early in the 2nd quarter.
The visitors tried to increase their lead, but Enisey’s outside shooting began to heat up. Zabian Dowdell, Suleiman Braimoh (twice) and Vasily Zavoruev each connected from long range to keep the deficit at 10, 52-42, entering the second half.
Three-point shooting was also the key for Enisey in the 3rd quarter. Led by Artem Komissarov, Sergei Mitusov and Vladimir Pichkurov, the home team cut the deficit to four, 74-70.
Turning Point
Down the stretch, Enisey simply ran out of luck and time, trailing by a few points the entire period. Dowdell enjoyed a career game, pouring in 27 points, including three free throws with 12 seconds remaining that cut the deficit to three (92-89). At the other end, Ejim went 1-2 at the free-throw line, which proved to be enough. Dowdell and Liutych both missed on Enisey’s final possession to give UNICS the win.
Despite the defeat, Enisey could still reach the postseason with four games remaining. UNICS keeps pace with 1st-place UNICS, improving to 19-2.
Lasme Throws It Down
Gabon Beast @Slasme with the SLAM!@BC_Enisey 32 | @unicsbasket 42 pic.twitter.com/CLiKoFbOEO
— VTB United League (@VTBUL) April 22, 2018
Stat
39% – Enisey was stymied by Kazan’s interior defense, shooting 39% from inside the arc (16-41).
Quotes
Enisey head coach Oleg Okulov:
– I think the game was entertaining for the fans. We struggled a bit with execution and converting opportunities. UNICS has a more experienced roster and did a better job. I don’t have any issues with my players’ effort, especially in the second half. If we could have knocked down a few more shots, and avoided a few more mistakes, we could have won.
UNICS head coach Dimitris Priftis:
– This was a tough game. It was an important win due to the standings. We started strong and pulled away, but Enisey got back into it in the second half. The finish was very tense and evenly-matched. But we played well and managed to get the win. Congratulations to my team. Congratulations to Enisey on a good game!
Up Next
Enisey: April 26 home vs. Zenit
UNICS: April 29 home vs. Nizhny Novgorod
Images of the Game
