Lokomotiv Kuban defeated Zenit at home in Game 3 of the 3rd Place Series – 85:81 (24:25, 12:16, 19:21, 30:19).
Game progress
The game was tight from the opening tip. The lead changed 5 times in the first quarter, and neither managed to pull away. Early in the second quarter, the St. Petersburg team moved ahead and looked to build on advantage, but never stretched the gap beyond 7 points. Zenit went into the halftime leading by 5 – 41:36.
The third quarter followed the same scenario, with the guests edging the quarter. The fourth quarter, however, belonged entirely to Loko. In such physical battle, the Krasnodar team came back and then took the lead.
Key moment
With just over a minute left, Mike Moore put Loko up by 6 – 79:73. Trent Frazier did his best to rally Zenit, scoring 8 points in the closing stages, but it was not enough. The Krasnodar team made free throws and closed out the win.
X-Factor
Mike Moore was the standout performer. Loko forward made 6 of 10 field-goals, including 4 of 7 three-pointers, and finished with 21 points and 8 rebounds – setting VTB League high in scoring and PIR (27).
Facts
Loko cut Zenit’s series lead to 2-1 in the 3rd Place Series.
The win ended a 6-game losing streak for the Krasnodar team.
All games in the series have been in clutch, with no game separated by more than 4 points at the end.
Leaders
Lokomotiv Kuban: Mike Moore (21 + 8 rebounds), Ivan Samoylenko (13), Vince Hunter (12), Vsevolod Ishchenko (11 + 6 rebounds + 5 assists), Patrick Miller (11 + 9 assists)
Zenit: Andrei Martiuk (19 + 7 rebounds), Trent Frazier (17), Ismael Bako (10 + 8 rebounds)
What’s next
Game 4 on June 9 in Krasnodar.
