Zenit dodged Lokomotiv-Kuban – Sport – Kommersant
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In the central match of the week of the VTB United League regular championship, Lokomotiv-Kuban hosted Zenit. The outcome of this confrontation largely depended on the prospects of its participants to improve their position in the standings on the eve of the playoffs. The teams gave a real show, during which Krasnodar first let go of the opponent by 25 points, then caught up with him and even overtook him. But in the end, an accurate shot by Sergei Karasev still tipped the scales in favor of Zenit. The guests won with a score of 77:74.
A couple of days ago, for Zenit, the trip to Krasnodar seemed to have no special tournament significance. Javi Pascual’s team was in a position where they had very little chance of moving above or below their third place. But on Monday, UNICS unexpectedly lost to Nizhny Novgorod, and Zenit got a chance to push Kazan out of second place (CSKA won the first place ahead of schedule). Not to say that he is very significant, but he was. So suddenly a trip to Krasnodar found tournament meaning for the current league champion. As for Lokomotiv-Kuban, he did not need to look for any meaning in this meeting. Krasnodar are fighting with Nizhny Novgorod for fourth place.
The teams have met three times this season. And only one match was, let’s say, normal. There was no seesaw mode, there was no jerking of one of the teams and returns to the game of the other. But the other two followed the same crazy scenario. First, Zenit ran ahead – 17-20 points, and only then did Lokomotiv-Kuban join the game. Krasnodar heroically eliminated the gaps, but in the end they still lost.
The next confrontation between the teams went according to a crazy scenario. Although it was hard to imagine that it would happen, looking at a completely equal game in the first quarter. But already in the second notes of madness began to appear.
The hosts, as if at the command of the director, fell into some kind of prostration – neither Jaylen Burford, nor Chris Horton, nor Zakhar Vedischev succeeded in almost anything. But the guests game was very confident. And it is not surprising that by the big break after a long-range hit by Trent Fraser, the lead of Zenit reached 12 points. And as soon as the teams returned to the floor, the guests struck another, it would seem, knockout blow. Royce Hamm, Caleb Homesley, Frazier, replacing each other, hammered balls into the ring of the hosts, and the gap between Zenit had already reached 25 points. It seemed that everything was going to the fact that he would exceed the 30-point mark with a margin.
If this happened, the game could be put an end to. However, it was at this moment that Krasnodar finally woke up. Suddenly, the game went to Burford, Devon Akun-Purcell worked out very effectively, and in general, the team, with the support of the stands, began to crush the opponent. So much so that by the middle of the final ten minutes, nothing was left of the crushing advantage of Zenit. Moreover, Alexander Shcherbenev’s throw put the hosts ahead.
And yet, Lokomotiv-Kuban this time was not destined to get any real benefit from its return to the game. “Zenith” at the end of the match still managed to get together.
A long-range hit by Sergei Karasev was decisive.
Krasnodar had time to recoup, but they lost the ball in the return attack. Zenit won with a score of 77:74 and continued to chase UNICS. Well, Lokomotiv-Kuban has so far remained in fifth place.
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