UNICS will host Lokomotiv Kuban in the Game of the Week.
Location: Russia, Kazan, Basket Hall
Time: February 2, 2023, 19:00 (Moscow time)
Broadcast: Match! Igra, League Website
Rivalry
Loko and UNICS has almost the longest rivalry history in the League. The teams played 38 games and before the start of this season, the win score was equal – 18:18. But UNICS came out ahead with 2 wins in autumn.
Loko and UNICS played in the last 2 playoffs – and the Kazan team won both. In the spring of 2021, UNICS stopped Loko at the semi-final stage (3-0), and in the 2021/22 season beat Loko in the 3rd place seried (3-1).
This season
By the first game in the 2022/23 season in October, the teams had different positions: UNICS shared the first place with CSKA, Loko closed the Top 8. But Loko played well with a more experienced opponent. UNICS had a double-digit lead several times, but each time the Krasnodar team returned, and even started the fourth quarter with a slight advantage. At the same time, UNICS had turnovers and the team leader Jalen Reynolds disappeared – he scored only 1 point in 17 minutes.
The Krasnodar team scored only 9 points in the fourth quarter. At the decisive moment, UNICS point guard Nenad Dimitrijevic made 2 three-pointers and Loko did not reply.
A month later, the teams played in Basket Hall Krasnodar, but the expectations were far ayaw from reality. UNICS already led by 20 in the first quarter, and after the first half the difference reached 29 points (21:50). Of course, Loko slightly reduced this dirfference, but UNICS win still looked confident – 82:70.
What was next?
More than 2 months have passed since the last game between the teams. The Kazan team strengthened at the 2nd place with 2 defeats only in the regular season – both from CSKA. Velimir Perasovic team has a 9-game winning streak.
Although it is hardly safe to say that the head coach is happy with the game that his team is showing. 5 of these last 9 wins have difference of 10 or less points. In Perm, UNICS won only in overtime (89:82), against Zenit (95:94), Macon scored both free-throws in the last seconds and he also saved the Kazan team from defeat in the Volga Derby versus Pari NN (86:85).
After the November game with UNICS, Loko won 7 out of 11 games. The Krasnodar team gained a good shape and not only guaranteed a place in Group A at the second stage of the regular season, but shares the 4th place in the standings together with Pari NN and MBA.
The Krasnodar team has a 3-game winning streak, and the last was on Sunday in St. Petersburg. Loko managed to impose Zenit usual style of play and dragged the opponent into the end, where Vladislav Emchenko scored final game points:
Signings
During the previous 2 months, Loko was quite active on the transfer market. 3 newcomers DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell, Chris Horton and Josh Gray appeared. Gray has already left the Krasnodar team, having failed to adapt to European basketball after 6 years in the NBA and G-League.
Darral Willis left Lokomotiv Kuban and moved to South Korean League. At the same time, not so long ago, Loko announced Okaro White, who played for UNICS in the 2021/22 season. The forward has not yet arrived, but should do so very soon.
Injuries
Velimir Perasovic missed the previous UNICS game on Monday and his assistant Milan Karakas, and the team was led by 37-year-old specialist Artur Bigeev. Jalen Reynolds also did not play in the Volga Derby against Pari NN, whose participation against Loko is also questionable. In addition, Stanislav Ilnitskiy will miss 4 to 6 months due to a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Lokomotiv Kuban arrived in Kazan ready, except for the injured forward Egor Sychkov.
Stats and leaders
The undisputed UNICS leader is Daryl Macon – the guard (together with Malik Newman from Avtodor) leads the best scoring players list of the season with 18.9 points. Jalen Reynolds is second with 15.2 points per game.
Loko has two players in the Top 10 of the best scorers of the season – Jaylen Barford (16.6 points) and DeVaughn Akoon–Purcell (16.3 points), who played only 4 games in the League.
Louis Labeyrie is one of the best League rebounders. The French forward makes 6.9 rebounds. Chris Horton is best in Loko and has 5.9 rebounds.
On Thursday, there will be playmakers duel, Nenad Dimitrijevic from UNICS has 6.1 assists, Aleksandr Shcherbenev from Loko – 5.1 assists.
If we turn to team stats, then UNICS is better than Loko in points scored (87.5 – 79.0), shooting percentage (50.1% – 43.9%) and assists (19.3 – 18.3). But what the Krasnodar team bas better rebounding (37.0 – 34.4) and stealing (9.0 – 8.4).
Old-New Friends
In the offseason, former Loko captain Stanislav Ilnitskiy moved to UNICS after 5 years in the Krasnodar team. And forward Dmitry Uzinskiy, who has been playing for UNICS for the last 3 years, went to Krasnodar.
Loko newcomer Okaro White helped UNICS reach the United League Finals in the 2021/22 season.
Artem Zabelin (2011/12) previously played for Loko. The center crossed paths with Loko newcomer Anton Kvitkovskikh in Avtodor (2017-19) and with Loko forward Dmitry Uzinskiy in Spartak Primorye (2012/13).
