UNICS beat PARMA-PARI at home— 93:74 (17:15, 25:19, 30:20, 21:20).
The best scorers
UNICS: Georgiy Zhbanov (17 + 4 steals), Daryl Macon (12), Jalen Reynolds (11), Louis Labeyrie (10 + 6 rebounds)
PARMA-PARI: Bryon Allen (25 + 5 rebounds), Justin Roberson (16)
Game progress
This game was the debut for UNICS guard Daryl Macon. The American guard recovered from injury and missed playing basketball. In the first possessions, he became the hosts key offensive option. However, Macon’s actions was limited to the starting 4 points. The Kazan team despite the status of the favorite could not take a huge lead throughout the first quarter. PARMA-PARI looked no worse than UNICS. At the end of the 10 minutes, the difference was only 2 points – 17:15.
In the second quarter, the teams finally picked up the pace. In faster basketball, the class and depth of UNICS roster helped to gain the lead. If Bryon Allen and Danila Pokhodiaev were main offensive options of PARMA-PARI, then 9 players scored points for the Kazan team during the first half. The hosts were able to made an 8-point lead by the halftime – 42:34.
The key moment
The third quarter became the key moment of the game. The Kazan team stunned the opponent. Stanislav Ilnitskiy and Daryl Macon three-pointers helped to make UNICS difference more. The lead quickly became double-digit and after two spectacular dunks by Louis Labeyrie, the hosts lead was 21 points – 59:38.
But PARMA did not stop playing. During the final quarter, the guests even trailed by 12 points – 60:72. But that was the end of their comeback. UNICS quickly regained a comfortable lead and got the confident win.
Hero
Georgiy Zhbanov is famous for his defensive actions. But in this game, he clearly showed offensive potential. The guard scored 17 points and updated his career high in the VTB League as UNICS player.
Numbers
12 – all UNICS players scored points. The depth of the roster has become one of the key factors in the hosts win.
What’s next
UNICS: home game against Samara on November 21
PARMA-PARI: home game versus Pari Nizhny Novgorod on November 18
