UNICS loses to Zenit for third straight time and leaves St. Petersburg with injured Kulagin
The game between the two capitals' teams ended in favor of St. Petersburg
UNICS lost away to Zenit with a score of 86:69 (32:17, 20:17, 14:13, 20:22) in the VTB United League regular championship. This is Kazan's third consecutive loss to the St. Petersburg club. Of course, for Kazan, this result won't affect the standings before the playoffs (the team has already secured 2nd place), but it certainly won't let them relax. Moreover, the fate of the team captain, Dmitry Kulagin, who left the court with an injury at the end of the first quarter, is currently unknown. Realnoe Vremya reports on whether Kazan's leader will return, how Velimir Perasović will use the remaining two regular season games, and who UNICS will face in the playoffs.
ANOTHER NEW LEGIONNAIRE FOR UNICS ON THE COURT BEFORE THE PLAYOFFS
UNICS approached the game against Zenit not in its optimal lineup. Paris Lee continues to recover; he last played on March 19 against Parma, scoring 11 points in that game. Meanwhile, Marcus Bingham played, despite having an asthma attack a few days earlier.
At the same time, a few days ago, the club's management decided to remove Tyron Brewer from the roster for the current season. On April 4, he suffered a shoulder injury in a game against Uralmash, ruling out his return to the court anytime soon. Losing such a player is certainly not a plus for the team: the forward played a key role in scoring. For example, in the winning game against league leader CSKA, Brewer scored 23 points for the team, and in January against Pari Nizhny Novgorod, he scored 30.
Still, the club still has time to plug holes in the lineup before the playoffs. Following the news about Brewer being removed from the roster, news came of the signing of another legionnaire — Elijah Stewart. The only problem is that Stewart had no time to “gel” with the team before the game against Zenit. In just over 7 minutes, he only managed a steal and missed two-point and three-point shots.
— We have two new players who need to integrate into the lineup, including Elijah Stewart, who arrived only yesterday. So, in the remaining games, we will try to ensure that the new players who have joined our team can understand our basketball philosophy, and we can prepare for the playoffs, — UNICS head coach Velimir Perasovic said at the press conference. Notably, the head coach was calm throughout the game, which is uncharacteristic for him.
The second new player in question is Xavier Munford, signed at the end of March. The guard had already played with Kazan on the court in a game against Avtodor, successfully hitting five of seven three-pointers, playing 24 minutes. Against St. Petersburg, Munford couldn't replicate that productivity, scoring only six points in 17 minutes on the court.
According to both the head coach and UNICS forward Mikhail Belenitsky, the newcomers were one of the reasons for the unsuccessful game.
— At the moment, there's a lack of understanding, especially with the new players who haven't fully integrated yet. We've only practiced with Elijah for two days, two practices. He hasn't had time to really blend in, and it's understandably difficult to play like that, — the player stated.
SURPRISE WITH ZHBANOV AND KULAGIN'S INJURY
Even during the pre-game warm-up, it became clear that the game could be tough for Kazan, as Georgy Zhbanov, who was considered injured, was preparing to play. This means Zenit came to play against Kazan without injuries and with its full starting lineup.
From the first minutes, Zenit actively stifled Kazan's attacks and scored into the opponent's basket with relative ease, while making defensive errors — by the middle of the game, the team had already accumulated four fouls. The key stretch was the end of the first quarter when the St. Petersburg team went on a 16:2 run. The result was a 32:17 score in Zenit's favor. UNICS also significantly lagged behind in rebounds — 3 against 11.
A “warning sign” for the Kazan team was not only the opponent's lead but also the injury to team captain Dmitry Kulagin in the last minute of the quarter. After a Zenit steal, UNICS's leader grabbed his inner thigh, played until the end-of-quarter whistle, and then left, never returning to the court. When asked about the player's condition, Perasovic gave no clear answer:
— It's too early to say anything. We don't know right now because we're not doctors and can't assess the condition.
The start of the second quarter was unproductive for both teams — only one accurate free throw by Zhbanov in nearly three minutes. Ultimately, the entire first half was played with the hosts leading by around +20 points. The Kazan team had problems organizing attacks — the players seemed to be searching for a leader to guide them. This was especially noticeable in the absence of Kulagin or Alexey Shved in the game when playmaking became difficult. It looked as if the players were focusing on personal achievements and not playing cohesively, which Mikhail Belenitsky later confirmed, calling it a factor that influenced the game's outcome.
Towards the end of the quarter, UNICS began to find its game, notably improving its long-range shooting — several three-pointers from Jalen Reynolds and Xavier Munford went in. The halftime score was 52:34 in Zenit's favor. “I think we completely failed the first half, both in aggression and in any understanding of the game," Belenitsky shared.
CATCHING UP AND A POSSIBLE PLAYOFF MEETING
The start of the second half was marked by a successful stretch for the visitors — UNICS reduced the deficit from 23 to 11 points. Kazan showed noticeable improvement in defense and rebounding, though turnover problems persisted. Zenit, conversely, lost its shooting accuracy at the start of the third quarter and accumulated five personal fouls. However, towards the end, the St. Petersburg team managed to regain the initiative and pulled away again, approaching a 20-point lead. Xavier Moon played a key role in this run.
The fourth quarter began with another UNICS run, repeating the scenario of the previous period. Towards the end, Kazan even started winning the quarter — 20:15 — but the situation was still dire. St. Petersburg pulled away again, and the scoreboard again showed a +20 lead.
— It should be understood that Zenit is now a completely different team compared to the start of the season. Currently, St. Petersburg looks better than us. We will do everything possible to change the situation, — stated Perasovic.
The victory over UNICS secured 3rd place in the standings for Zenit, making a playoff semifinal meeting between the two rivals more likely. For this to happen, both Kazan and St. Petersburg need to beat their respective opponents (from 7th and 6th place, not yet determined). In the quarterfinals, Kazan will face either Uralmash, to whom they lost in their previous meeting, or Moscow's MBA-MAI.
Kazan's next game will be on April 18 away in Krasnoyarsk against Yenisei as part of the VTB League regular championship. Tip-off is at 12:00 PM Moscow time.
UNICS — Zenit — 69:86 (17:32, 17:20, 13:14, 22:20)
Top scorers for UNICS: Jalen Reynolds (15 points), Alexey Shved and Andrey Lopatin (10 points each), Marcus Bingham (9 points and 7 rebounds).
Top scorers for Zenit: Xavier Moon (21 points and 5 assists), Vladislav Emchenko (17 points), Andrey Martyuk (15 points and 4 rebounds), Johnny Juzang (12 points plus 4 assists).