UNICS defeated PARMA-PARI in the Game 1 of the Quarterfinals – 101:76 (24:22, 26:22, 26:20, 25:12).
Game progress
Velimir Perasovic team was the clear favorite of the Series. But the guests had January game in mind, where UNICS beat PARMA-PARI only in overtime. The Perm team had in the lead for most of the first quarter, and only hosts 7-2 mini-run allowed UNICS to take the lead. The teams had no intention of slowing down in the second quarter. At one point, the hosts dominated in the paint and had a 7-point lead, but a 6-0 run by the guests cut the difference to a minimum. Although UNICS finished the first half leading, the battle was still ahead.
The third quarter didn’t begin well for the hosts. PARMA was motivated and began to dominate UNICS in the paint. Malik Dime lay-up, Danila Pokhodiaev 4 points and the difference was only 1 or 2 shots.
Key moment
But here the Kazan team turned on the shooting mode. 6 straight points were made by Daryl Macon. Andrey Vorontsevich added a three-pointer, giving UNICS a double-digit lead – 71:61. From that point on, the hosts lead remained unchanged. Back in the final possession, Odinokov made shot sealed the game.
Key factor
UNICS’s starting five had a good shooting percentage. 21 out of 28 from the game (75%) and 15 out of 17 from the free-throw line.
Fact
UNICS finished the season with 6 losses in 7 games after the All-Star break. After defeating PARMA-PARI, Velimir Perasovic’s team got their first win since March 12, when the Kazan team defeated MBA in Basket Hall.
Leaders
UNICS: Daryl Macon (22 + 3 steals), Louis Labeyrie (14), Jalen Reynolds (13 + 12 rebounds), Nenad Dmitrijevic (12 + 7 assists)
PARMA PARI: Isaiah Reese (15 + 9 assists), Danila Pokhodiaev (14 + 9 rebounds), Malik Dime (10), Justin Roberson (10).
Next game: April 3 in Kazan.
