The trouble of the "three-pointers," the problems of UNICS: why Perasovic's team is losing to Zenit again.

      Is Perasovich able to change the course of the series in the fourth match?

      UNICS suffered a crushing defeat to Zenit in the third match of the VTB United League playoff semifinals.

      In the third game of the VTB United League playoff semifinals, UNICS lost to Zenit in St. Petersburg by a margin of 29 points. The Kazan team was defeated by the Petersburg team with a score of 103:74 (33:14, 22:23, 25:24, 23:13). Recall that until today, the score in this confrontation was tied – 1-1. In the first meetings in Kazan, the opponents exchanged one victory each. It feels like both opponents left more emotions in the very first match. The opening game was spectacular and high-scoring (the teams combined for 211 points), ending with a hard-fought victory for the hosts (107:104). At that time, the Kazan team managed to turn the score in their favor in the additional five minutes of the match thanks to a three-pointer from their captain Dmitry Kulagin. However, in the subsequent matches, this component significantly let the Tatarstan team down.

      Moreover, in the second head-to-head meeting, both opponents, understanding the significance of the match, decided to act more strictly in defense to minimize danger in their zone. The spectacle and intensity of the game, of course, suffered greatly from this. The match with lower scoring was won by the guests with a margin of almost 10 points, leveling the score in the series (78:69).

      Perasovich urged his players to "wake up," but in vain.

      The third match of the VTB United League playoff semifinals between the opponents is decisive due to several factors: victory in the series gave Zenit confidence and allowed them to establish themselves in the tournament as favorites. Dejan Radonjic's team deservedly won. The decisive factor in this meeting was the starting quarter: the hosts took the lead first (33:14) and then simply did not allow the guests to get close.

      Velimir Perasovich's team needed to win the third match to gain an advantage in the series to four victories in their favor. However, from the first minutes, the Kazan team struggled to find their game. During the breaks, the Tatarstan coach calmly urged his players to find long-range shots and not to play one-on-one during defense.

      In the second period, the guests managed to cling to the score, but the lead from the hosts was minimal (23:22). This quarter became the only one that ended with an advantage for the Kazan team in this match. Closer to the middle of the match, when the Petersburg team again took the lead, Perasovich's explanatory tone changed to a more emotional one. Apparently, this was the way the Kazan team's coach wanted to "wake up" his players.

      In a slightly raised tone, he demanded they increase their movement, as, in the head coach's opinion, his players were "asleep" on the court. Meanwhile, Zenit acted excellently during counterattacks; fast breaks after UNICS's unsuccessful attempts worked flawlessly.

      The total advantage of the Petersburg team over the Kazan team in the third match prepares them for the role of favorites in the series.

      Before the third meeting, Velimir Perasovich stated that he had thoughts on how to overcome Zenit. In any case, the Yugoslav specialist hinted that the reason for the opponent's strength lies in their toughness and aggressiveness, and also added that there are no small details in the playoffs.

      "In the second match, Zenit played much better than us. They acted tougher and more aggressively. We need to find an answer to their aggressiveness. The Petersburg team outperformed us in offensive rebounds and showed good basketball. We must focus on the details," the club's press service quoted him.

      If we evaluate the third match of the semifinals as a whole – the struggle was on opposing courses, and in the middle of the match, the Kazan team could have turned the tide of the game. However, Dejan Radonjic's team managed everything that day, even free throws. The third quarter ended with the same minimal advantage, but already in favor of the hosts (25:24). The final quarter went under the dictation of the Petersburg team (23:13). The match result – a confident victory and the score in the series in favor of the team from the banks of the Neva – 2-1.

      After such a loud defeat, UNICS coach Velimir Perasovich has much to ponder. His players lost to the opponent in rebounds for the second consecutive match (30 to 38). Additionally, the Kazan team made half as many assists (13 to 28) and attacked with a very low percentage – 39.4%. The three-point element, which played an important role for the Tatarstan team in the first match, also suffered again: out of 12 attempts, the Kazan team hit only two (16.7%). Meanwhile, Zenit significantly outperformed their opponent in this component, hitting six out of seven three-pointers, which allowed them to achieve a 19-point advantage.

      The Kazan team not only lost the victory in the third match of the playoff semifinals, but they also brought Zenit one step closer to the final. Velimir Perasovich's players will find it very difficult to overcome this aggressive team of Dejan Radonjic, which knows how to gather in key moments and maintain control over the match and a double-digit lead, not losing their advantage. This, in general, says a lot about Zenit as a potential leader in this confrontation.

      The individual scoring of UNICS players let them down.

      One of the reasons for the Kazan team's unsuccessful performance in the third match could have been the knee injury of center Jalen Reynolds, which he sustained in the previous match against the Petersburg team. The American's performance in the third match cannot be called successful. He spent only 15 minutes on the court, missing seven field goal attempts and scoring only four points from free throws.

      Additionally, for the first time in the series, center Ruslan Abdulbasirov, shooting guard Denis Zakharov, and small forward Elijah Stewart played. The latter managed to score in this match, earning two points, making two rebounds, and one assist. The best player in this match from UNICS was center Marcus Bingham (23 points, eight rebounds, three steals, one block shot, and two turnovers with a coefficient of "+33").

      Among the Petersburg players, the most effective were point guard Xavier Moon (19 points, six assists, and four turnovers with a coefficient of "+24") and shooting guard Johnny Juzang (six rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block shot, and three turnovers).

      The fourth meeting between UNICS and Zenit in the playoff semifinals will again take place in St. Petersburg on May 19. The start is at 19:30 Moscow time.

      Photo: bc-zenit.com

      More news about the event:

      UNICS head coach comments on the defeat to Zenit: "Today only Bingham played a decent match."

      His team lost with a score of 74:103 in the third match of the VTB United League semifinals. 19:09 17.05.2026 Real Time - Kazan

      Home and rings help. Zenit outscored UNICS and took the lead in the series.

      In the third match of the semifinals, last season's VTB United League vice-champion Zenit confidently defeated UNICS at home with a score of 103:74 and took the lead in the series to 4 victories – 2-1. 17:40 17.05.2026 BC UNICS Kazan - Kazan

      UNICS suffered a heavy defeat to Zenit in the third match of the VTB United League semifinals.

      Kazan UNICS lost to Petersburg's Zenit in the third match of the VTB United League semifinal series. 17:37 17.05.2026 GTRK Tatarstan - Kazan

      The trouble of "three-pointers," UNICS's problems: can Perasovich change the course of the series in the fourth match? 16:44 17.05.2026 IA Tatar-inform - Kazan

      UNICS lost to Zenit in the third match of the VTB United League semifinals.

      The third match of the VTB United League semifinal series ended at the Arena stadium in St. Petersburg, where the local Zenit hosted Kazan UNICS. 15:44 17.05.2026 IA Tatar-inform - Kazan

      Zenit crushed UNICS in the third game of the semifinals with a three-digit score.

      The Petersburg team took the lead in the series 2-1.

      Photo: provided by the press service of the UNICS basketball club.

      Zenit crushed UNICS in the third game of the VTB United League semifinals with a three-digit score (103:74) and took the lead in the series 2-1. 15:38 17.05.2026 Real Time - Kazan

      Preview. Zenit vs UNICS. Semifinal. Game No. 3

      VTB United League. Semifinal. Game No. 3.

      Zenit (St. Petersburg) – UNICS (Kazan). 10:40 17.05.2026 BC UNICS Kazan - Kazan

      Today,