Lokomotiv-Kuban defeated Enisey at home, 81–66 (20–15, 17–22, 19–16, 25–13).
Main Story
From the very first minutes, the game was evenly matched. Both teams played a positional offense, trading baskets. During the second quarter, the “Railroaders” extended their lead to 9 points, but Enisey responded with perfect accuracy from beyond the arc (4-for-4), and the first half ended in a tie—37–37.
After the break, the teams traded runs. The Krasnoyarsk team committed 5 turnovers in the third quarter, and Tomislav Tomović’s players capitalized on this. They improved their 3-point shooting percentage and entered the final quarter with a 3-point lead.
The Finish
In the final 10 minutes, Loko continued to move the ball well, extending their lead. After a basket by Alen Hadzibegović midway through the quarter, the lead reached double digits for the first time. In the remaining time, the home team played confidently and secured the victory.
X-Factor
The Krasnodar team not only committed fewer turnovers than their opponents (9 to 17) but also moved the ball more effectively. Their advantage in assists by the end of the game was in double digits—24 to 12.
Interesting Facts
Patrick Miller recorded a double-double: 17 points and 11 assists.
Danil Sheyanov plays now for Enisey, being on loan from Lokomotiv-Kuban.
Press Conference
Lokomotiv-Kuban Head Coach Tomislav Tomović:
– Thank you to Enisey for the lesson they taught us today. Their toughness clearly showed us what we shouldn’t be like—we looked too soft at the start of the game, and we can’t let that happen again if we’re hoping to achieve something big. Injuries, illnesses—I don’t even want to hear such excuses. If you step onto the court wearing a Lokomotiv uniform, you have to give it your all every second. That’s why we now need to throw ourselves headfirst into our work and strive to reach the level we’re aiming for.
Enisey Head Coach Jovica Arsić:
– This probably wasn’t Lokomotiv’s best game; they didn’t show 100% of what they’re capable of. But to beat them even when they’re playing like this, we need to play much better—faster and with more teamwork. Unfortunately, today we relied too much on individual play, whereas against a higher-caliber opponent, we need to outplay them through teamwork. That said, I’ll give our team credit for the first 20 minutes—that’s our best stretch of the season so far, including all preseason games. Even when we made mistakes, we made up for them with energy. We’ll continue to gel as a team and try to demonstrate team basketball in our next game against Avtodor, which is very important for us in terms of the standings.
Top Performers
Lokomotiv-Kuban: Alen Hadzibegović (19 points, 6 rebounds), Patrick Miller (17 points, 11 assists), Andrei Lopatin (10 points), Gleb Firsov (10 points), Aleksej Pokushevski (10 points)
Enisey: Charles Callison (14 points, 5 assists), Nikita Evdokimov (11 + 5 rebounds), Evgeny Belyankov (10 + 6 rebounds)
Up next
Lokomotiv-Kuban: October 3 at home against MBA
Enisey: October 4 at home against Avtodor.
