UNICS beat Nizhny Novgorod at home – 85:71 (25:26, 18:11, 24:22, 18:12).
The best scorers
UNICS: Mario Hezonja (20 + 8 rebounds), Isaiah Canaan (20), Lorenzo Brown (14 + 5 assists), Tonye Jekiri (10 + 5 rebounds).
Nizhny Novgorod: Ivan Strebkov (13 + 5 assists), Ilya Platonov (13 + 5 rebounds), Mikhail Kulagin (11 + 7 rebounds).
Game progress
Nizhny Novgorod has won only once in the last 4 games and came up to the Volga Derby in 7th place in the standings. UNICS lost to Zenit at the end of December and was at the 2nd place. Additional difficulties were caused to the teams by players losses – both teams had only 10 players on their rosters.
Despite not the most optimal form, the teams have already greatly increased the pace at the start of the game. And the Kazan team’s offense tempo was set by Tonye Jekiri and Mario Hezonja, then Nizhny brought down the full power of their snipers – 4 three-pointers out of 6 in the 1st quarter. However, lack of players in both teams affected already in the 2nd quarter: the rhythm of the game noticeably decreased, and the emphasis shifted to tight defense. The result was only 6 points for two by the middle of the quarter.
UNICS was the first who woke up. The hosts gave 12:2 run, Isaiah Canaan became the threat for Nizhny. And 3 minutes before the halftime, Lorenzo Brown established a double-digit lead – 43:33. Nizhny tried to fix the situation. With Mikhail Kulagin effort, they managed to slightly reduce the gap, but they were far from comeback. The Kazan team ended the 1st half of the game as the leaders – 43:37.
🎯 @SiP03 with 1️⃣6️⃣ PTS in 1st half of the Volga Derby! pic.twitter.com/5j6SeMm21E
— VTB League (@VTBUL) January 16, 2022
In the 2nd half, Ivan Strebkov and Ilya Platonov continued Kulagin’s job – 2 long-range shots and 2 points gap on the scoreboard. UNICS recovered with Lorenzo Brown’s help. The American guard literally managed the hosts’ offense, scoring 7 points in 2 minutes. But the Kazan team failed to come for the final quarter with a comfortable lead – 67:59.
The key moment
The last quarter began with UNICS’ 6-point run, which put Nizhny in a difficult position. And Mario Hezonja and Isaiah Canaan in the offense finally deprived the guests of a chance to finish. Nizhny Novgorod tried to make a comeback, but UNICS managed to dry up the game in the final minutes and get another win – 85:71.
Hero
Mario Hezonja – the Croat has once again become the key player in UNICS offense. The forward got 20 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists, and also became the most effective of the game (21 points).
Numbers
30 – UNICS updated its best in three-pointers shots. 10 of them were in.
What’s next
UNICS: road game against Zielona Gora on January 23.
Nizhny Novgorod: road game against Lokomotiv Kuban on January 23.
