Lokomotiv-Kuban beat PARMA at home – 83:75 (16:25, 22:12, 22:22, 23:16)
Top scorers
Lokomotiv-Kuban: Johnny O’Bryant (22 + 5 assists), Alan Williams (18 + 9 rebounds), Mindaugas Kuzminskas (12 + 5 rebounds).
PARMA: Artem Zabelin (18 + 8 rebounds), Mareks Mejeris (14 + 7 rebounds), Lorenzo Williams (13).
Story
Before the game Lokomotiv-Kuban (5-4) was on 5th place with 2 consecutive losses that led to coach change – Evgeny Pashutin returned to the team. PARMA (3-7) started to gain the form after unsuccessful start but still are second worst team of the league.
Guests took over the beginning of the game. Artem Zabelin scored 11 points in 5 minutes – 16:8. In the end of the quarter the lead turned double figures after Nikolai Zhmako and Konstantin Bulanov’s threes (22:10) but on the last minute Loko answered with two long-range shots by Sam Dekker and Johnny O’Bryant – 16:25.
In the second quarter Krasnodar tied the game via its defense – PARMA scored only 12 points. Kuban were slowly cutting the differential by means of shots from behind the arc. After one of those by returned Zakhar Vedischev Loko made it one-possession game (31:33). Scoring episodes by Alan Williams and Dmitriy Kulagin resulted in Loko’s won first half – 38:37.
After the half-time Loko’s bigs Alan Williams and O’Bryant efforts helped them start the run (56:48) but PARMA pulled themselves together after Maksim Grygoriev’s and-one three-pointer. The third ended with even score (22:22) and Loko’s had one point lead.
Key Moment
The final result was decided mostly in first 4 minutes of the final quarter. Mindaugas Kuzminskas active game and threes by Dmitriy Kulagin and O’Bryant let Lokomotiv start with 13:3 run (73:62). PARMA answered with 7-0 run after a time-out but Red-greens were still controlling the game. On last minutes Mantas Kalnietis was good at offensive end of the floor and Kulagin – on the defensive – after spectacular block-shot on Zhmako with 81:73 on the scoreboard it was clear that Krasnodar and returned Evgeny Pashutin won’t give the victory away. Loko have the same record as UNICS (6-4) and now hold 4th place in Standings.
Stat
1 – Evgeny Pashutin had his first game in the League after return and first W. It should be reminded that Russian specialist is the most winning coach in the League’s history – 146 won games.
Hero
Johnny O’Bryant. American spent 30 minutes on the court and was a number one option in offense for Loko: 6/10 FG, 5/8 3P FG – 22 points. The “Big” also became the second best in assists on the roster – 5 assists.
Comments
Lokomotiv-Kuban’s headcoach Evgeny Pashutin:
– Congratulations to the team on a very important victory. PARMA is a very dangerous team with a lot of good players, they proved in their last games that they can act very confidently. We analysed the opponent well, could not start the first quarter well, but the strength of our team is that we came together and were able to show our team spirit. In the second quarter we missed twelve points, in the fourth sixteen – at the right moments we acted harshly against the opponent’s snipers, and everything turned out to be in defense. Our offence started to work, when we began to move the ball faster, bring it to Alan Williams, and in the fourth quarter to Johnny O’Bryant on the perimeter. We showed a smart offence, we should add in this part of the game, play all forty minutes as we acted in key segments.
PARMA’s headcoach Kazys Maxvytis:
– We wanted to win, but lost control of the game, although they started the game with very good energy. From the second quarter they began to play basketball of Lokomotiv, a faster, running one. There are no complaints about the team for self-giving, but there are questions about controlling the pace, some decisions and the game plan itself.
Next
Lokomotiv-Kuban: December 23 on the road vs Khimki
PARMA: December 21 at home vs Tsmoki-Minsk
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