In best-of-three series Lokomotiv-Kuban faces Khimki.
Where and When?
May 11, 2021, 17:00 msk, Krasnodar, Basket Hall
May 13, 2021, 19:30 msk, Khimki, BCMO
May 15, 2021, 13:00 msk, Krasnodar, Basket Hall*
* – if necessary
Regular season
Lokomotiv-Kuban: 2nd place (18 wins and 6 defeats)
Khimki: 7th place (12 wins and 12 defeats)
Regular season head-to-head games
The games between Lokomotiv and Khimki took place in the middle of the regular season. The first game took place on January 3 in Krasnodar and opened the 2020/21 season. Khimki dominated, but Krasnodar kept close behind. Still, the game was close – at the decisive moment Loko scored only 3 points in 5 minutes (102-91). It was Kuban’s first and only home loss in the regular season.
The game in Moscow Region in February was particularly dramatic. In the final minute, Mantas Kalnietis and Sergey Monia were exchanging three-pointers, and Nigel Williams-Goss, making his redshirt debut with just over a minute to go in the paint, hit the game-winning shot (92-90).
Why Lokomotiv-Kuban can win the series?
Many experts and fans expect Lokomotiv vs. Khimki to play out in much the same style as the decisive moments in the Moscow Region showdown and consider this pair to be the most intriguing in the quarterfinals. That’s certainly a valid opinion, yet Loko may very well see themselves as the series favorites. We should not even begin with the Krasnodar club’s strengths, but with the known problems of their opponent. Khimki parted with most of their roster during the season, had a new head coach, and suffered multiple injuries, including the loss of their two best players, Alexey Shved and Jordan Mickey, at the end of the season. The team’s crisis, which started back in 2020, resulted in 17 straight losses in the Euroleague and a nervy end to the regular season marathon in the League, where the team entered the playoffs from seventh place with a 12-12 record.
Loko also ran into trouble: Leading scorer Alan Williams broke down in November, and the club had to say goodbye to big-time shooting guard Jordan Crawford in February. Still, Kuban had time to rebuild and find a decent replacement: Drew Gordon and Williams-Goss fit the coach’s scheme. After Williams departed, Evgeny Pashutin put his lineup on the back path: Loko emerged as the most impetuous, furious and offensive team in the league. The Red and Green’s dashing offense is controlled by season assists leader Mantas Kalnietis, the game is always ready for one of the league’s best players of the bench, Will Cummings, a powerful forward line allows Kuban to lead in rebounding and, if necessary, turn the ball into a position play. Finally, the stars Mindaugas Kuzminskas and Williams-Goss can lead the way and win games on their own.
Lokomotiv-Kuban is a much deeper, more balanced and well-rounded team than the current Khimki, coming into this game with a nine-game winning streak. The Kuban also have the advantage of a home court, where they’ve lost just once (11-1) and where they enjoy fiery support.
Why Khimki can win the series?
Khimki had a lot of unpleasant moments during the season, but now the Moscow Region players have a chance to tarnish their wounded egos and put the skeptics to shame. There’s no more need to play two or three games a week with a cut roster; right now there’s only one opponent to beat twice. Khimki rested, rebuilt (the two-week break is better for Khimki than Loko, which was in good shape when the regular season ended), and, most importantly, they got Alexey Shved back to play. The yellow-and-blue leader missed a month because of a broken finger, but since the beginning of May he is practicing in the general group.
The Shved factor and his readiness are key for the Yellow and Blue. Under Andrey Maltsev coaching, the team began to pay more attention to defense and improved in that area. Khimki are capable of playing well on their own half against opponents with strong offenses, as also demonstrated in their high-profile Euroleague game with Real Madrid in March, when their aggression, movement and tough play caused the Spaniards to commit 23 turnovers (a season low-scoring game). The presence of skillful players like Alexey, as well as Errick McCollum and (possibly) Jordan Mickey at the point, provided they play well, suggests that the weakened team still has a winning formula. In the playoffs, the rotation is shrinking and basketball is simplifying in a sense: Often the outcome is decided not by ingenious tactics and perfected combinations, but by the experience and personal skills of the stars. However, Khimki don’t have enough proven playmakers to stick with them during tough minutes and convert important shots. Shved, at his best, fits the definition of a player who can carry a team.
X-factor
Timofey Mozgov.
The NBA champion is back after nearly three years out of basketball, and everyone saw that he hasn’t said his last word yet. Timofey played in four games at the end of the regular season, averaging 7.8 points and 5.3 rebounds. The 215-centimeter center improved with each game. According to agent Stanislav Ryzhov, Mozgov played only 20% of his game on opening night against Enisey, played better against Nizhny Novgorod and then only better.
After getting some practice, Timofey continued to work on his conditioning during the break so he can compete in the quarterfinals in even better shape. It should be mentioned that Mozgov desire to play for the Russian national team in Olympic qualifying. The series with Loko is a great opportunity to show he is needed for the main team in the country. Mozgov’s factor is especially important considering Mickey’s injury (we don’t know if he’ll play and what condition he’s in) and the power of the Krasnodar frontcourt. If Timofey really does manage to improve, the experienced and big player could be very useful for his hometown team and could be a problem for Loko.
