Lokomotiv Kuban defeated Pari Nizhny Novgorod in the Game 2 on the road – 77:72 (12:12, 18:28, 22:16, 25:16).
Game progress
Winning the Game 1 seemed to give Loko players more confidence. The second game began with the guests productive offensive plays. DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell and Dmitriy Uzinskii allowed the Krasnodar team to take an early lead. But the defense was tight. Nizhny Novgorod scored more in such game. As a result, in the first quarter the teams both made 3 turnovers, scored 12 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, had 8 turnovers and committed 8 fouls.
In the second quarter, the opponents finally started to score more and make less turnovers. Loko failed to score three-pointers, while Vitali Liutych and Evgenii Baburin had 4 threes. As a result, the hosts had a double-digit lead after the first half – 40:30.
The third quarter was very active. First, the Krasnodar team made a run, and after Okaro White posteriser on Aleksandr Gankevich, the guests even took the lead – 47:46.
But the Volga team managed to stop the opponent comeback with their defense. And the hosts regained the lead before the fourth quarter – 56:52.
Key moment
The key factor was the leadership. In the final quarter, Nizhny Novgorod couldn’t guard DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell and Jalen Barford. Barford made shots gave Loko a 6-point lead – 70:64.
And that run was the key in the game. Pari NN desperately tried to catch up, but their own mistakes and turnovers in the clutch prevented them to get to a close game. The guests retained the lead and got the win.
Key factor
Throughout the first half, the hosts successfully dealt with Loko leaders. But DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell and Jalen Barford active game was key to the guests’ win. After the halftime, the American duo scored 32 points combined (9 in the first half).
Fact
Lokomotiv-Kuban won the first 2 games in the Series against Pari Nizhny Novgorod. After such a successful trip, the Krasnodar team has an excellent chance to finish the Quarterfinals at home.
Leaders
Pari Nizhny Novgorod: Evgenii Baburin (18), Maksim Salash (16 + 6 rebounds)
Lokomotiv Kuban: DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell (23), Jaylen Barford (18).
Next game: April 5 in Krasnodar
