Lokomotiv-Kuban defeated Pari Nizhny Novgorod at home in the Quarterfinals Game 3 and advances to the Semifinals – 92:81 (22:22, 27:16, 25:16, 18:27).
Game progress
Though Loko failed to beat Pari NN in the regular season, the Krasnodar team had a 2-0 lead before the Game 3. In case of a home win, Lokomotiv would advance to the Semifinalis after CSKA, which had previously beat Avtodor.
The guests came out very motivated, and it wasn’t easy to pick a leader in the first quarter, which ended 22:22. At the beginning of the second quarter, Jermaine Love gave Nizhny Novgorod the lead, but Loko increased the a pace, made a 9-0 run and took the lead. Though Zoran Lukic team kept trying to get back into the game, Chris Horton fastbreak allowed Lokomotiv Kuban to finish the first half with a double-digit lead – 49:38.
The third quarter began unsuccessful for the guests as Okaro White scored 2 threes right after the start of the second half. The hosts lead was beginning to be fatal for Pari NN. With 3 minutes left in the quarter, Zakhar Vedischev brought Loko’s lead to 20 points for the first time – 67:47. The teams ended the quarter with the same difference.
Key moment
Nizhny did not want to give up and started the fourth quarter with an 11-1 run, but they also make Okaro White to fouled out. But the Krasnodar team wasn’t going to suspend to the next stage of the Playoffs. A comeback didn not happen: Jalen Barford turned on again, Chris Horton playing the game of his life as Andrey Martiuk had missed the game. Aleksander Sekulic team held a comfortable double-digit lead and took the second Semifinals stop after CSKA.
Key Factor
Chris Horton played noticeably below his potential in the first 2 games of the Series, scoring 8 points with a low percentage. In Game 3, however, the American bigman had one of the best games of his career. His 23 points were a season-high for Loko forward.
Fact
For 2 individual regular season winners, the first round was disappointing. First, Malik Newman, the Best Scorer of the Year, then Evgenii Baburin, the Defensive Player of the Year, will miss the Semifinals.
Leaders
Lokomotiv Kuban: Jaylen Barford (26 + 4 steals), Chris Horton (23 + 6 rebounds + 4 blocks), DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell (10 + 6 assists + 3 steals), Zakhar Vedischev (10)
Pari Nizhny Novgorod: Maksim Salash (23), Aleksandr Chadov (18 + 5 rebounds), Jermaine Love (10)
