The Loko are monsters in the United League playoffs. Three defeats and top signings
Nikita Biryukov April 28, 2024, 17:00 Moscow time
The Krasnodar club flourishes at the most crucial moment of the VTB United League.
Lokomotiv-Kuban, finalist of last year’s United League playoffs, had an excellent start in the fight for the coveted trophy this season: the Krasnodar club defeated Parma without problems in two home matches (112:85 and 97:60). The third game of the quarterfinal playoff series was played. Let’s not hide the intrigue: Loko advanced to the next round, beating his rival on the road. However, we will tell you in detail about the matchup, the key people in the quarterfinals and the prospects of Alexander Sekulic’s team in the playoffs.
The start of the match went to Loko: the team simply looked better from the first minutes and took a slight lead on the scoreboard. Parma, after a bad start, recovered and managed to catch up with the rival, ending the first quarter in a tie (16:16). The next segment of the game was dictated by the guests. The railwaymen sealed off the enemy in defense, allowing them to score only five points! And in addition, they themselves sent 24 points into the opposing basket. The Loko players went into the break with a big lead on the scoreboard: 40:21.
The third quarter turned out to be a copy of the first: at first Loko gained a solid advantage, but Parma did not give up and managed to reduce the guests’ advantage to a minimum in a single period of the game (16): 19. The last 10 minutes They were exciting in terms of points scored, but if you look at the intrigue of the match, unfortunately Lokomotiv resolved most of the doubts about the winner before the break. 23:17 in the last quarter and final victory with a score of 82:54.
VTB United League. 1/4 final
April 28, 2024, Sunday. 14:00 Moscow time
Parma
permanent region
Lokomotiv-Kuban
Krasnodar
Parma: Bryce, Johnson, Solomon, Ilnitsky, Perevalov, Reese, Abdulbasirov, Khalturin, Morozov, Platunov, Cheburkin, Firsov
Lokomotiv-Kuban: Burford, Sherbenev, Akun-Purcell, Ndur, Temirov, Elatontsev, Uzinsky, White, Kvitkovskikh, Miller, Anderson, Yemchenko
The visiting team had five players score at least 10 points: Devon Akun-Purcell (15), Maurice Ndour (12), Jaylen Burford (11), Carvel Anderson (11) and Patrick Miller (10). The team as a whole was not as effective as at home, but thanks to convincing play on both sides of the court they achieved a confident victory in the match. 112:85, 97:60 and 82:54 – speak for themselves… Loko showed the most convincing game of all the teams in the United League playoffs at the moment.
The team became much stronger during the regular season: Ndur, who had previously played in the United League for UNICS Kazan, and Miller, who managed to prove himself in the Turkish and Lithuanian leagues, joined the team. We should also not forget Anderson, who moved to Loko after Kazakhstan’s Astana failed to reach the playoffs. Each of them has strong individual qualities, but Sekulic has already found his place in the structure of the game of foreign players.
However, not only the legionnaires. As part of the Krasnodar team, Vladislav Yemchenko, Anton Kvitkovskikh and team captain Dmitry Uzinsky performed well during the series. It is clear that other basketball players take on most of the shots, but Russian players work their hardest on defense, without shying away from hard work, and on offense they are in charge of attracting and moving the ball. Additionally, each of them can activate at the right time and make an important throw.
Parma – Lokomotiv Kuban
Photo: BC Parma
In general, Loko did not particularly feel Parma’s resistance. This is not a criticism of the Perm club, but just a statement that the Krasnodar team is in excellent shape. The team led by Sekulic looked very good on both sides of the court in the quarterfinal series. The main thing is that each player’s eyes light up. The red-greens have a very strong bench. What can we say if Burford, Miller and Anderson are not part of the team’s starting five. This indicates that Loko has a top-level team, ready to face any opponent during the playoffs.
Parma paid mostly praise in the regular season, and even more so in the second half. But in the playoffs there is a completely different level of resistance, and the most important thing is at stake: the championship, which Loko wants more than anything else. Evgeniy Pashutin has formed an excellent group, worthy of praise for the work done. The only thing we have to do is not lose passion and be even better next season. Thanks to the Permians for the excitement during the season!
In the semifinals the Krasnodar Club will play against the winner of the UNICS-Samara pair. Kazan is the current champion of the United League. At the same time, Lokomotiv-Kuban lost to UNICS in the final of the last playoffs. Therefore, for Sekulic’s players this confrontation will be, to put it mildly, fundamental if the Kazan club reaches the semi-finals. So far everything is going this way.
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