UNICS beat Zenit at home with a score of 91:90
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UNICS, in a difficult confrontation, beat Zenit on its site in the match of the week of the VTB United League regular championship with a score of 91:90. The Kazan team pulled out a victory at the end of the match thanks to a long-range hit by Louis Laberie. However, it was not he, but Nenad Dimitrijevic who became the real hero of the match. The Macedonian accounted for more than a third of all points scored by UNICS. Thanks to this victory, Velimir Perasovic’s team once again single-handedly led the championship.
The regular championship of the VTB United League is entering a decisive stage, at which each match may be decisive for the final placement of teams. In this sense, the meeting between UNICS and Zenit was especially important. Kazan approached it as the leader of the championship, and Zenit as a very real contender, if not for first place, then at least for second. Let us remind you that the day before, CSKA sensationally lost to Yenisei (this was the first victory of the Krasnoyarsk team over the army team during their entire performance in the VTB United League). On the one hand, this gave UNICS a chance to break away from their formidable pursuer again, on the other hand, Zenit had the opportunity to get close to CSKA, and then try to reach the Kazan team.
Obviously, such an important confrontation between the two giants of Russian basketball could not turn out to be simple.
It was also obvious that, given how well the teams had studied each other, even thoroughly, everything would be decided, firstly, by the episodes, and secondly, by the personalities.
And it was not difficult to guess which players would influence the outcome of the match more than others. At UNICS, the work of solving complex problems is entrusted to Nenad Dimitrievich. At Zenit, Thomas Ertel performs a similar function.
In many ways, the game came down to the confrontation between the team leaders. In it, Dimitrijevic looked a little more preferable, scoring more points than the Frenchman and more often providing his teammates with assists. But, despite this, the Kazan team found themselves in the role of catching up – by the end of the third quarter their gap reached a dozen points. This is because Zenit’s signature tight defense was bearing fruit. Plus, the guests had someone to pull the leadership burden besides Ertel. Let’s say Vince Hunter was 70 percent accurate in implementing attacks. Boyan Dubljevic converted five of six two-point attempts, and Sergei Karasev hit three of four long-range shots. And in general, Zenit coach Javi Pascual simply seemed to have more players. All ten basketball players he used scored points. For UNICS, in addition to Dimitrievich, only five other players completed attacks effectively.
Probably the most logical outcome of the match would be a victory for Zenit. However, the Kazan team showed amazing stubbornness.
Yes Dimitrievich, who eventually scored 32 points, acted as the main engine. But besides him, Jalen Reynolds looked very convincing, as well as Louis Laberie. Actually, the latter was the main shot of this match – the Frenchman’s three-point attempt in the end set the final score – 91:90 in favor of the hosts. True, one cannot help but say that she, most likely, would not have decided anything if Ertel had not suddenly missed two free throws in a row a little earlier. In fact, it was at this moment that Ertel lost in the confrontation with Dimitrievich.
Thanks to the victory over Zenit, UNICS again took clear first place in the championship. As for Zenit, it remained third after CSKA, and is now four wins behind the leader, although it has a match in hand. Considering, however, that Zenit lost all three head-to-head meetings with UNICS this season, it has almost no chance of beating the Kazan team.
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