Teammate scuffle and captain's bloodied face: how UNICS fought for victory over Lokomotiv

What surprised Perasovic in the absence of four key players?

The absence of injured players has become a familiar part of UNICS's official announcements. This time, Jalen Reynolds was added to the previously reported list — Alexey Shved, Paris Lee, and Dison Pierre.

In the previous game against Zenit, the American had spent 16 minutes on the court following doctors' recommendations, but this only aggravated his injury.

This became a serious problem for Lokomotiv: the team had prepared to face Kazan's center, but plans didn't materialize, as confirmed by Tomislav Tomovich. According to the coach, the reason for the defeat lies in his players not being “smart in important moments and not maintaining the game's rhythm.”

At the same time, Velimir Perasovic noted that his players performed better today than he expected.

— I'd like to highlight our high number of three-point shots, which is generally atypical for us. We made 15 shots from beyond the arc compared to 11 from close range.

Meanwhile, Lokomotiv's three-point shooting was at a minimum: the team made only 2 of 14 attempts — just 14.3%. The outcome of the unsuccessful match was also affected by the absence of Alen Hadzhibegovich, who was injured in Samara.

“If you keep track of me, I have 55 conflicts”

The lead changed hands 19 times during the match — proof that there was no clear favorite. In the first half, the score was tied six times.

Kazan relied on three-pointers, while Lokomotiv players scored many points through fast breaks. The decisive moment before the big break was a long-range shot by Dmitry Kulagin, which put UNICS ahead 39:38.

It was then that the most emotional episode of the match occurred: in the corridor on the way to the locker rooms, Ty Brewer got into a conflict with Denis Zakharov, and teammates had to separate them. Head coach Perasovic commented on the situation, calling it a basketball moment — according to him, the players simply disagreed over the ball.

— If you keep track of me, I have 55 conflicts. When I talk, I'm actually very confrontational, — the Kazan coach joked, adding that it all happened without any “bad blood.”

A calmed-down Brewer also assured that there was no conflict: “That's my guy!”

In the final ten minutes, forward Andrey Lopatin worked wonders

Returning to the game's flow, after the third quarter UNICS again took a minimal lead — just one point. Two accurate free throws by Mike Moore made the score 57:56 in favor of Lokomotiv.

The outcome was determined only in the final stage. The real hero of this phase was Andrey Lopatin: the home team's forward scored 7 points in a row. After his three-pointer a minute and a half before the final buzzer, Kazan's lead grew to +5 — making the score 71:66.

In one play, Dmitry Kulagin collided with Kvitkovskikh and, while falling, cut his eyebrow on Vince Hunter. The captain left the court with a bleeding wound but returned to the game after a couple of minutes and scored UNICS's last two points. Former Kazan player Vince Hunter attempted two shots, and Patrick Miller took another — but all attacks failed. Ultimately, UNICS defeated Lokomotiv for the fourth time.

UNICS's upcoming opponents are underdogs and mid-table teams: Samara, Uralmash, and Avtodor. Under normal circumstances, Kazan would be considered clear favorites for these meetings, but the current situation is complicated by the absence of key players. Nevertheless, Ty Brewer emphasized that the team does not intend to underestimate opponents: UNICS will prepare for these matches with the same dedication as for games against CSKA or Zenit.

Game statistics:

UNICS — Lokomotiv-Kuban — 75:67 (16:17, 23:21, 18:18, 18:11).

Kazan leaders: Andrey Lopatin (18 + 8 rebounds), Ty Brewer (17), Dmitry Kulagin (14 + 5 rebounds), Marcus Bingham (10 + 5 rebounds).

Krasnodar leaders: Patrick Miller (19 + 8 assists + 5 rebounds), Vince Hunter (11 + 6 rebounds), Kirill Temirov (11).