Kazan’s UNICS defeated Vladivostok’s Dynamo at home, 117–75 (35–19, 25–24, 29–20, 28–12).
Main Story
After losing their first game of the season, UNICS came out strong from the start, but the league newcomers kept the score close for a long time. Experience ultimately made the difference toward the end of the first quarter. The Kazan team stepped up their play late in the quarter, and their defensive pressure forced the visitors to resort to inaccurate long-range shots. The result was a lead nearly double that of their opponents and the highest-scoring quarter of the current season so far (35 points).
Strong performances by Jalen Blackmon (17 points in the first half) and Isaiah Crowley (11) allowed Dynamo to stay competitive in the second 10-minute period, but their efforts were ultimately not enough to mount a comeback.
The Finish
The Kazan team managed to neutralize Blackmon’s activity after halftime and began to steadily build on their lead on their way to their first 100-point game of the season, which came midway through the final quarter.
X-Factor
The home team demonstrated a significant advantage in their passing game (29-17 in assists). Six players scored 10 or more points. Ten Kazan players recorded assists on the score sheet.
Interesting Facts
This was Dynamo’s first game in the VTB United League.
UNICS set new season records for points scored in a game (117), a half (60), and a quarter (35).
117 points ties the third-highest total in club history.
Denis Zakharov tied his personal league record for three-pointers. He made 5 three-pointers on 5 attempts.
Press Conference
UNICS Head Coach Milan Karakas:
– This is definitely an important victory for us. After our loss to PARMA, we immediately felt a lot of pressure, but that’s just how it is at UNICS. The club sets the highest goals for itself, so every game is of immense importance. I’m very pleased with the energy we showed at the start of the game. We played with much more focus, fought hard for offensive rebounds, and moved the ball well.
At the same time, we still have a lot to improve. What worries me most right now is that we have quite a few moments where we lose concentration—and our next opponent, Zenit, could punish us much more severely for that.
Dynamo Head Coach Sergey Kozin:
– Congratulations to UNICS on the victory. We knew that after their loss to Parma, our opponent would come out with redoubled energy. I warned the team that the Kazan players would act like a wounded beast—aggressively and forcefully. That’s exactly what happened from the very first minutes, right in the first quarter.
The main difference between the Super League and the VTB United League is experience, decision-making speed, and the level of physical contact. Some of our players weren’t ready for that. We didn’t follow our game plan, allowed our opponents to score easy points, and then it was hard to catch up.
Game Leaders
UNICS: Xavier Rathan-Mayes (21 + 7 assists), C.J. Bryce (19), Denis Zakharov (15), Luka Šamanic (15 + 6 rebounds), Jalen Reynolds (13 + 6 assists), Brendan Adams (11)
Dynamo: Jalen Blackmon (24), Isaiah Crowley (14)
Up next
UNICS: October 4 at home against Zenit
Dynamo: October 4 on the road against Samara.
