Lokomotiv-Kuban beat PARMA at home – 85:68 (27:12, 28:19, 15:20, 15:17).
Top scorers
Lokomotiv-Kuban: Mantas Kalnietis (23 + 9 assists), Nigel Williams-Goss (13 + 5 steals), Vladislav Yemchenko (12), Mindaugas Kuzminskas (11 + 7 rebounds).
PARMA: Eigirdas Zukauskas (32 + 7 rebounds), Mareks Mejeris (9 + 5 assists), Vladimir Ivlev (2 + 10 rebounds + 5 assists).
Story
In the first round game Perm managed to beat Loko at home in clutch – 84:81. Thus, this meeting was a perfect opportunity for hosts to take revenge. In recent games Kuban found their game enjoying a 3-game winning streak.
No wonder Krasnodar took the lead from the very beginning. The main of the starting quarter was Mantas Kalnietis. The Lithuanian hit all of his 4 field goal attempts, scored 10 points and gave out 2 assists. Other Loko players were supporting Mantas. For example, Vladislav Yemchenko and Andrei Martyuk hit their threes. It all led to hosts dominance on the scoreboard, by the second quarter Kuban had double digit lead – 27:12.
Perm led by Eigirdas Zukauskas tried to take over the game. At som point they managed to even the game. But it was temporary. The ending of the second quarter was in hosts’ favor. Krasnodar’s run was started by Nigel Williams-Goss and Mindaugas Kuzminskas and finished by red-hot Kalnietis with a buzzer. These three Kuban players scored 37 first half points and Loko were up by 24 by the half time – 55:31.
Solid gap made Krasnodar slow down a bit. In 6 minutes in the third they hit only one field goal. Meahwhile, Perm via Nikolay Zhmako and Eigirdas Zukauskas efforts scored 13 points – 44:57. Unfortunately for Ural they couldn’t keep it. Kuban pulled themselves together and stroke back. Vladislav Yemchenko was their joker, he scored 7 points. As a result, by the final quarter Loko brought comfortable lead back – 70:51.
The fourth quarter wasn’t nervous. The guests led by Zukauskas tried to come back. The Lithuanian set personal records in scoring (32 points) and efficiency (38). Actually, there were no intrigue. Perm couldn’t get closer to Loko than 14 points (63:77).
Loko took revenge for the first round loss, settled in the top-4 and clinched the play-offs. Perm still have to fight to find themselves in League’s top-8. Only one victory now separates Avtodor and Perm.
Hero
From the very beginning Mantas Kalnietis was leading his team to the victory. As a result, the Lithuanian set season-high in scoring (23 points), became the most efficient player on Loko’s roster and was 1 assist away from the double double (23 + 9 assists). Moreover, in this game the guard gave out his 500th assist for one team. Only 6 more VTB League players have the same achievement.
Stat
13 – After Zenit, UNICS, CSKA and Zielona Gora Lokomotiv-Kuban took 13 wins. Via this Evgeny Pashutin’s team clinched VTB League play-offs.
Comments
Lokomotiv-Kuban head coach Evgeny Pashutin:
– PARMA are tough, physically strong team. The play aggressively, have some strong frontcourt players. We started well, caught the rhythm, hit open shots, played well at D. In the third slowed down a bit, but then turned on and played more defensively in the second half. We stick to the gameplan, guys played as a team. We get better each game, do our homework. Tonight we moved the ball well, that’s the key to the result. Now it’s important to recover and prepare for the game against UNICS in EuroCup quarterfinal. I want to thank the fans, congratulations on the victory to them.
PARMA head coach Kazys Maksvytis:
– Congratulations to Loko on the victory. We entered the game badly, it wasn’t my team in the first half. Were bad at defense, tried to recover but missed open shots. In the second half it was a little bit better, the team was fighting but it was to late. We can’t afford to start the game like this against such opponents like Lokomotiv, they punished us.
Next
Lokomotiv-Kuban: March 28 @ Kalev
PARMA: March 29 @ Astana
Photo 
