Poor three-point shooting let UNICS down during the semi-final away games in St. Petersburg
Zenit lead the series against the Kazan team 3-1 after two home games
UNICS are returning home from St. Petersburg with two defeats against Zenit in the semi-final play-off series — 103:74 (May 17) and 81:77 (May 19) — and with the series score at 1-3. Victory in the fourth game was critically important for UNICS, and the team fought for it; a win would have levelled the series, whereas defeat now puts the team in a difficult position. For more details on why the away games proved unsuccessful for the team and what role Marcus Bingham played in this, see the report by Realnoe Vremya.
“Indeed, the players from St. Petersburg scored many open three-pointers. But we also had plenty of open shots at the start of the game, but we missed all of them”
The two away games of the VTB United League semi-final play-offs against Zenit became a real test of strength for the Kazan side, and their main enemy was their conversion rate from beyond the arc, which, conversely, successfully propelled their opponents ahead.
The first game in St. Petersburg (and the third in the semi-final) proved quite productive for the hosts — Zenit defeated UNICS with a three-digit score (103:74) and a margin of almost 30 points. The players from St. Petersburg seized the initiative from the first minutes, winning the first quarter 33:14. The success of the Petersburg team was ensured by a high percentage of long-range shooting — 56% against UNICS's 29%.
— Undoubtedly, Zenit are a shooting team. They have many players on their roster who know how to score. Indeed, the players from St. Petersburg made many open three-pointers. But we also had plenty of open shots at the start of the game, but we missed all of them. In games like this, that is extremely important. We need to make it difficult for our opponents to attack. After all, it is hard to count on a victory when you concede over 100 points, — said UNICS head coach Velimir Perasovic after the game.
Three-point shooting also let the Kazan team down in the fourth match. By the second ten-minute period, the team's conversion rate from beyond the arc was at 25% (2 out of 8), while for the hosts it stood at 66% (6 out of 9). It was these shots that allowed the St. Petersburg players to pull away, although in the first quarter the opponents were neck and neck, which strongly resembled the start of the first game of the series.
At the same time, the matches proved quite different. According to statistics, in the third game, the Kazan team lost to their opponents in almost every aspect: two-point percentage lagged behind Zenit — 45% against 57%, rebounds — 30 against 38, and they also committed one more foul. Ultimately, the point difference was -29.
The fourth game proved more “intriguing” — in the first and fourth quarters, the opponents were level, the visitors managed to overcome a 17-point deficit, but turnovers cost them.
— Today we fought much better for rebounds, but made many turnovers, which proved decisive and led to easy points for Zenit on fast breaks. The hosts feel very comfortable in transition. They have fast players on their roster who punished us for every turnover, — the head coach said at the end of the fourth match.
A teammate's injury placed more responsibility on Marcus Bingham's shoulders
— Today, perhaps, only Bingham played a decent game. Everyone else played poorly. Reynolds has an excuse, as he was forced to take the court with an injury. However, in any case, both Jalen and the others must play better, — Perasovic stated following the first game in St. Petersburg.
In that game, Jalen Reynolds failed to make a single field goal for the first time in the current season (0 out of 6). The “sixth man” sustained his injury back on home court on May 13: Reynolds began limping at the start of the second quarter. But the player returned a few minutes later and finished the game. He managed to recover by the second game in St. Petersburg, but still did not show his best performance, scoring 14 points, six rebounds and four assists.
A teammate's injury placed more responsibility on Marcus Bingham's shoulders. UNICS's centre became Kazan's MVP in both games in St. Petersburg, scoring 20+ points, but this was not enough for victory in either the third or the fourth game of the series without the support of his teammates' shooting: on May 17, almost everyone on the court was off target.
The situation was somewhat different for their opponents. In the second game on home court, Luka Samanic made every shot he took, much like his teammate, Zenit captain — Johnny O'Bryant (3 out of 3 three-pointers and 5 out of 6 two-pointers).
— Honestly, I'm just playing and trying to help the team. I don't know if you can talk about any peak form. I'm just trying to do everything possible for the team, and it seems to be working well right now, — said Samanic.
A frustrating ending to the decisive game
The most memorable part of UNICS's away games rightfully became the second half of the game on May 19. The team managed to cut a 17-point deficit after the first half. The second half started with the visitors stepping up their game; by the end of the third quarter, the score was 54:51, and the deficit had been reduced. This seemed to boost their confidence: in the final ten-minute period, UNICS managed to take the lead for the first time (70:71) and revive the intrigue from the first game.
The team again managed to take the lead in the quarter after a three-pointer by Paris Lee and a 2-point advantage (before that, O'Bryant had scored two points for Zenit).
With a minute left before the final buzzer, the hosts led by a minimal margin — 77:76. Zenit failed to secure their advantage reliably, but the visitors could not capitalise on the moment and committed a turnover on the ensuing attack. After forced fouls, the ball ended up in the hands of Xavier Moon, who successfully made both free throws. Next, Samanic fouled Dmitry Kulagin, giving Kazan a chance, but the guard missed one free throw — 79:77. Several mistakes by Paris Lee in the final seconds denied the team a chance at victory at the end of the game — a shooting foul on Xavier Moon and a missed two-point shot. As Perasovic later said: “We made a number of mistakes, which the opponent capitalised on and secured the victory.”
— We spent a lot of energy. In my opinion, at a certain point, the game was in our hands and we could have closed it out in our favour. But, unfortunately, it didn't work out today, — Lee said at the post-game press conference.
Victory in the fourth game was critically important for UNICS: it would have allowed them to level the series, whereas defeat now puts them in a difficult position — to reach the final, Kazan will have to win all remaining matches: in Kazan on May 22 and in St. Petersburg on May 25.
Game statistics:
May 17: Zenit (St. Petersburg) — UNICS (Kazan) — 103:74 (33:14, 22:23, 25:24, 23:13).
Top scorers:
UNICS: Marcus Bingham (23 + 8 rebounds + 3 steals + 1 block), Alexey Shved (16 + 2 assists), Dmitry Kulagin (13 + 3 assists).
Zenit: Johnny O'Bryant (22 + 6 rebounds), Xavier Moon (19 + 7 assists).
May 19: Zenit (St. Petersburg) — UNICS (Kazan) — 81:77 (21:16, 28:18, 12:23, 20:20).
Top scorers:
UNICS: Marcus Bingham (20 + 5 rebounds), Jalen Reynolds (14 + 6 rebounds + 4 assists), Paris Lee (8 + 4 assists).
Zenit: Johnny O'Bryant (20), Luka Samanic (15), Xavier Moon (15 + 4 assists).