UNICS defeated Lokomotiv Kuban at home in the Finals Game 2 – 79:76 (24-19, 14-27, 20-16, 21-14).
Gamre porgress
After the loss in the Game 1, the Kazan team decided to crush their opponent. Aggressive defense, easy points and dominant rebounding allowed the hosts to get the lead. The Krasnodar team managed to stay in the game with free-throws and three-pointers by Dmitrii Uzinskii and Andrey Martiuk. But UNICS 5-point lead in the first quarter wasn’t prove the team’s clear advantage – 24:19.
But the hosts couldn’t maintain such pace all game long. Already in the second quarter, the aggression in defense was decreased, which hepled Loko players. The guests tried to get into the paint and began to use 1 on 1 game to score. Loko took the lead midway through the quarter and continued to build the gap. DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell made shot ended the first half and the Krasnodar team led by 8 points – 46:38.
Key moment
After the break, the Kazan team slowly began to get closer. The guests had a good segment in the fourth quarter, after which they regained a comfortable lead – 73:63. But the hosts dominated at the end of the game. With a 1.5 minute left, Jalen Reynolds hook equalised the score – 75:75. Then, he made 2 free-throws and let UNICS to lead the game – 77:76. The remaining 30 seconds included Vladislav Emchenko missed shot, Nenad Dimitrijevic free-throws made and a decisive turnover by Akoon-Purcell. UNICS snatched win in a dramatic ending and ties the Final Series score.
Key factor
Aggressive defense was the key to UNICS’ success in this game. The Kazan team had 17 steals, repeating this season record. Jalen Reynolds 7 steals also became a repeat of the season-high.
Fact
The Final Series moves to Krasnodar and it may be a difficult test for UNICS. In the 2023 Playoffs, the Kazan team has won only 1 road game out of 4. Even so, Loko home court advantage doesn’t look nearly as convincing. They’ve won 2 of their 4 games at home.
Leaders
UNICS: Jalen Reynolds (19 + 5 rebounds, 7 steals), Marcos Knight (17), Lui Labeyrie (15 + 10 rebounds), Nenad Dimitrijevic (15)
Lokomotiv Kuban: DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell (17), Chris Horton (14 + 7 rebounds), Okaro White (10 + 8 rebounds).
Next game: 11 May in Krasnodar
