Time and place
Game 1. April 27, 20:00 (Moscow Time), Krasnodar, Basket-Hall
Game 2. April 29, 20:00 (Moscow Time), Krasnodar, Basket-Hall
Game 3. May 3,15:00(Moscow Time), Perm, UDS Molot
Game 4. May 5,17:30(Moscow Time), Perm, UDS Molot*
Game 5. May 8,20:00(Moscow Time), Krasnodar, Basket-Hall*
* – if necessary
Regular Season
Lokomotiv Kuban: 4th place (27 wins and 13 losses)
BETCITY PARMA: 5th place (22 wins and 18 losses)
Head-to-Head This Season
The Perm team beat Loko twice in the WINLINE BASKET CUP, but in the VTB League, the Krasnodar team won season series: 3–1. BETCITY PARMA secured its only win on December 14 at home. In that game, the hosts led for most of the game but still allowed to cut deficit in the closing minutes. However, the Ural team got win last—93–85.
The Krasnodar team won both home games. Moreover, all followed a similar script. The hosts managed to build a double-digit lead during the game. In the final quarter, the Perm team mounted a comeback, but in both November (90-77) and April (95-88), Loko managed to hold on for the win.
The third calsh between the teams this season in the VTB League stands out. On February 17 in Perm, the game was equal. In a tense finish, the Krasnodar team ultimately proved to be slightly more composed than the opponent. The individual skills of Patrick Miller and Jeremiah Martin gave Loko its only road win over PARMA this season—88-81. However, the star of the evening was Gleb Firsov. The young center had the best game of his career—33 points, 12 rebounds and 46 eff. points.
Why can Lokomotiv Kuban win?
At the start of the season, the Krasnodar team experimented with positional basketball. For a while, Loko was even the slowest team in the League. But with the arrival of Tomislav Tomovic, the picture changed completely. The new head coach sped up the Krasnodar team. And everyone saw the familiar Loko again.
The team’s signature style traditionally include aggressive defense, a quick transition from defense to offense, active pressure in the paint and reliance on the individual skills of its leaders. This philosophy is a perfect fit for the current Loko roster. An aggressive, fast-paced style could be the key to Krasnodar team success in this series.
Teamwork is a strength of the Krasnodar team, but is also among the best in skills. Patrick Miller had an excellent finish to the regular season and has entered the race for the MVP award. Vince Hunter and Jeremiah Martin have been among the tournament’s standout performers for several years now. Russian players have made significant push this season. Anton Kvitkovskikh, Kirill Temirov and Vsevolod Ischenko have become key players on the team, directly influencing Loko results.
Why can BETCITY PARMA win?
BETCITY PARMA has had an inconsistent season. But Evgeny Pashutin will try to get the team in peak form for the playoffs. In the final stretch of the season, the Ural team’s coaching staff managed key players carefully. They were given the opportunity to catch breath and recover from injuries. This is a crucial factor for the Perm team. They don’t have the same depth in their rotation as Loko.
This season, the Ural team has a balanced roster, featuring the power of Terrell Carter and Gleb Firsov in the paint and the dazzling talent of Victor Sanders, Jalen, and Brendan Adams on the perimeter. This combination makes BETCITY PARMA a threat to any opponent. Evgeny Pashutin team is capable of varying its offense without a significant drop in quality.
X-Factor
Controlling the pace will be the key in this series. If Perm team can slow down the game and shift it into a positional style, BETCITY PARMA has an excellent chance of success. But if Loko picks up the pace, it will be very difficult to stop.
The emotional factor will also be important. Both Loko and BETCITY PARMA can be classified as spirited teams that get energized both by their own strong play and by the passionate support from the fans. This season, including the WINLINE Basket Cup, the rivals have already played 6 games, with the hosts winning 4. So the home-court advantage for Krasnodar team will not be a mere formality in this series, but a very significant asset.
Facts
Head-to-head record between the 4th- and 5th-place teams in the quarterfinals since the 2014–15 season, when the VTB United League moved away from dividing teams into groups: 23–12.
Lokomotiv Kuban finished fourth in the regular season for the sixth time in its history. Previously, the Krasnodar team finished fourth in 2017, 2019, 2022, 2024, and 2025.
BETCITY PARMA will participate in the VTB United League playoffs for the sixth time (has not missed the decisive stage since 2021). In previous playoff runs, the Perm team did not win a single game—14 losses in 14 games.
The Perm team was once again the most-attended team of the season. This season, an average of 5,500 people attended the Perm team’s home games.
The last time a club from Perm (Ural-Great) played in the semifinals of the top division of the Russian Championship was during the 2003–04 season. At that time, Loko was playing its first season in Rostov-on-Don after relocating from Mineralnye Vody; that same season was Andrey Vedishchev’s first as the team’s head coach.
