"The factor of our defeat was the second quarter": UNICS allowed Zenit to equalize the score in the series

      Now Kazan is awaiting two away games in St. Petersburg

      Photo: Dinar Fatykhov

      In the second match of the semifinal playoff series of the VTB United League, Zenit defeated UNICS in response to the loss on May 11. The home team was let down by the second quarter, where Kazan lost by 13 points and committed 8 turnovers. The final score of the match was 69:78, making the series score 1:1. "It is obvious that the offense did not work today. Probably, this is a component that will be quite difficult to fix," explained the defeat by the head coach of the "greens," Velimir Perasovic. About where the two new foreign players of UNICS disappeared, how the Kazan team will prepare for the trip to St. Petersburg, and what happened in the second segment of the game in Kazan — in the material of "Realnoe Vremya."

      The second ten minutes let UNICS down

      "From the very beginning today, they looked fresher, more energetic than us," began the press conference the head coach of UNICS, Velimir Perasovic, after his team's defeat in the second match of the 1/2 playoff of the VTB United League. And indeed, the Kazan team looked somewhat confused at the beginning of the match on their home court, which allowed Zenit to make an 11-point run in the first minutes of the game. However, the defense and accurate shots from Paris Lee and Jalen Reynolds helped UNICS take the lead by the end of the first quarter — 29:27. "The defining moment was the second ten minutes, in which we lost by 13 points and committed 8 turnovers, while in 40 minutes we had [a total of] 11 turnovers — this is a huge difference for us," explained Perasovic.

      Dinar Fatykhov / realnoevremya.ru

      In the second quarter, the nature of the game changed: the teams focused on defensive actions. Zenit demonstrated more reliable defense, allowing the opponent to score only six points in 10 minutes of game time. This allowed the guests to restore a double-digit lead. By halftime, the score was 46:35 in favor of Zenit. The statistics fairly reflected the result on the scoreboard: the guests were better in everything — in assists, steals, and shooting accuracy. The hosts had a shooting percentage of 30% from three-point range and 46% from two-point range, while Zenit's figures were higher — 37% and 67%, respectively.

      Flying chair, injuries, and unproductive play

      Today's match was significantly different from the opening game of the series. While in the first game the spectators saw bright attacking basketball with many three-point shots, the second match turned out to be more restrained.

      Provided by the press service of the UNICS basketball club

      The only aggressive player for the guests from St. Petersburg that evening was Luka Samanic, who committed four personal fouls and sent the opponent to the free-throw line three times. The MVP of the previous game played only eight minutes in the second match. He played half of the first ten minutes and missed the second, and in the third, he came on for just half a minute, managing to commit a foul on Reynolds. After returning to the bench, the player angrily threw a chair towards the stairs to the stands in frustration. Later, the forward did get more playing time in the final ten minutes. "It was better for the team that way. Yes, he had an excellent first match, and he played well today too, but probably the reason lies in the fouls," explained Zenit's head coach Dejan Radonjic about Samanic's short time on the court.

      UNICS had no obvious dramas, however, there was a risk of losing their leader — Jalen Reynolds got injured at the beginning of the second quarter and left limping. But the player returned a few minutes later and finished the game.

      Dinar Fatykhov / realnoevremya.ru

      "He is a person who always tolerates pain quite well, can play through pain. I think that tomorrow we will understand more precisely what is wrong with him," commented UNICS head coach Perasovic.

      Two away games ahead

      After a tough first half of the game, the home team managed to cut the deficit to a minimum at the beginning of the fourth quarter — 56:58. However, the St. Petersburg team managed to organize a scoring run again, scoring nine points in a row, which allowed them to regain a comfortable lead. An important factor in Zenit's success was their good rebounding performance — the guests significantly outperformed their opponent (43 to 25).

      Dinar Fatykhov / realnoevremya.ru

      UNICS head coach Velimir Perasovic sees the reason for the defeat in poor offense, specifically in the low shooting percentage. According to him, this issue will be the main point in preparing for the trip to St. Petersburg. "We need to analyze the game and see where exactly they outplayed us and what can be fixed. Right now, emotions are still high. We need to get the players in good shape. It is obvious that the offense did not work today. Probably, this is a component that will be quite difficult to fix, nevertheless, we need to find a solution," said Velimir Perasovic.

      Notably, the dates for the newcomers' "return to good shape" are still unknown: we still do not see either Xavier Manford or Elijah Stewart in the playoffs, whom the club signed shortly before the elimination matches began. According to Perasovic, the players are still recovering: "Stewart is injured and missed 20 days. Manford also injured his shoulder, after which I do not see him being ready to play."

      According to Kazan team forward Andrey Lopatkin, the main reason for the defeat was also the low shooting percentage. "We will analyze further — this is already the coaching staff's job. They will point out our mistakes, and then we will head to St. Petersburg," said the basketball player.

      Dinar Fatykhov / realnoevremya.ru

      UNICS will play two return matches on May 17 and 19 at the St. Petersburg KSK "Arena." Then the teams will return to Kazan, where the fifth match will take place on May 22 at 19:00 Moscow time. The sixth match, if necessary, is scheduled for May 25 in St. Petersburg. The decisive seventh game, if needed to determine the finalist, will take place on May 28 at 19:00 at the Kazan team's home court.

      Match statistics:

      UNICS (Kazan) — Zenit (St. Petersburg) — 69:78 (29:27, 6:19, 15:10, 19:22).

      Top scorers:

      UNICS: Jalen Reynolds (24 + 7 rebounds), Paris Lee (13 + 5 assists), Dishon Pierre (11).

      Zenit: Johnny Juzang (20), Andrey Martyuk (11 + 9 rebounds), Andre Roberson (11 + 9 rebounds), Luka Samanic (10).

      Natalia Zhirnova