“Our second quarter was our downfall”: UNICS allows Zenit to tie the series

The second ten-minute period doomed UNICS

“They looked fresher and more energetic from the very start today," UNICS head coach Velimir Perasovic began his press conference following his team's loss in the second VTB United League playoff semifinal game. Indeed, Kazan looked somewhat lost at the start on their home court, allowing Zenit to jump out to an 11-point lead in the first minutes. However, 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 decisive factor was the second ten-minute period, where we lost by 13 points and committed 8 turnovers. Over 40 minutes, we had 11 turnovers total — that's a huge difference for us, — Perasovic explained.

In the second quarter, the nature of the game changed: both teams focused on defense. Zenit demonstrated more reliable defense, allowing their opponent to score only six points in 10 minutes of playing time. This allowed the visitors to restore their double-digit lead.

At halftime, the score was 46:35 in favor of Zenit. The statistics fairly reflected the score: the visitors were better in everything — assists, steals, and shooting percentage. The home team's shooting percentage was 30% from three-point range and 46% from two-point range, while Zenit's percentages were higher — 37% and 67% respectively.

Flying chair, injuries, and unproductive play

Today's game was significantly different from the first meeting of the series. While the first game featured spectacular offensive basketball with many three-pointers, the second game was more restrained.

Only Luka Samanic was aggressive for the visitors from St. Petersburg, committing four fouls himself and drawing three fouls on his opponents. The MVP of the previous game played only eight minutes on the court. He played half of the first ten-minute period, missed the second, and appeared for only half a minute in the third, managing to draw a foul on Reynolds. After returning to the bench, the player furiously threw a chair towards the stairs leading to the stands out of frustration. The forward did eventually get more playing time in the final period.

— It was better for the team that way. Yes, he had a great first game and played well today too, but the reason was likely the foul trouble, — Zenit head coach Dejan Radonjic explained Samanic's limited playing time.

There was no major drama for UNICS, but there was a risk of losing their leader — Jalen Reynolds was injured early in the second quarter and left limping. However, the player returned after a few minutes and finished the game.

— He's a guy who always handles pain quite well and can play through it. I think tomorrow we'll have a better understanding of what's going on with him, — UNICS head coach Perasovic commented.

Two games ahead on the road

After the difficult first half, the home team managed to cut the deficit to a minimum at the start of the fourth quarter — 56:58. However, the St. Petersburg team again organized a productive run, scoring nine consecutive points, restoring a comfortable lead. An important factor in Zenit's success was their good rebounding — the visitors significantly outperformed their opponent (43 to 25).

UNICS head coach Velimir Perasovic sees the reason for the defeat in the poor offense, specifically the low shooting percentage. According to him, this issue will be the main point of preparation for the trip to St. Petersburg.

— We need to analyze the game and see exactly where they outplayed us and what can be fixed. Emotions are still running high right now. We need to get the players in good shape. It's obvious that our offense didn't work today. That's a component that will be quite difficult to just fix. Nevertheless, we need to find a solution, — Velimir Perasovic concluded.

Notably, the dates for the new legionnaires to get “into good shape” are still unknown: neither Xavier Munford nor Elijah Stewart, whom the club signed shortly before the playoffs, are seen on the court. According to Perasovic, the players are still recovering: “Stewart is injured and has missed 20 days. Munford also injured his shoulder, and I haven't seen him ready to play since.”
According to UNICS forward Andrey Lopatin, the main reason for the defeat was also the low shooting percentage.

— We'll analyze it further — that's the coaching staff's job. They'll point out our mistakes — and then onward to St. Petersburg, — the basketball player said.

UNICS will play two return games on May 17 and 19 at the KSK Arena in St. Petersburg. The teams will then return to Kazan, where the fifth meeting will take place on May 22 at 7:00 PM Moscow time. A sixth game, 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 7:00 PM at the Kazan home court.

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