In the first possession, Lokomotiv seemed to have defended well, but Anton Kardanakhishvili still managed to score from 9 meters with the 24 seconds siren. As it turned out later, this episode illustrated the game as a whole well.
Although, the start for the Krasnodar team looked quite okay: an active search for contact led to the opponent collecting three fouls in the first minute. Isaiah Whaley opened the scoring with second-chance points, then Andrei Martyuk scored from beyond the arc. Yet, Uralmash managed to run away a little due to the activity of Hayden Dalton and Javonte Douglas, who scored a 3-pointer each – 7:15.
Kirill Temirov entered the game and scored from afar on his second attempt. And Patrick Miller hammered in a dunk, despite resistance from much higher Octavius Ellis, 14:16. Everything looked pretty acceptable, even though the Yekaterinburg team was constantlyahead by 2-4 points – by the end of the quarter, Tahjere McCall made it 21:24.
But the next period clearly did not go well for Loko: the opponent scored points in every possession, and already in the 12th minute it was 23:30. Despite Antonius Cleveland’ desperate jumps for every ball, and Andrei Martyuk’ first touches on every offensive rebounds, the ball kept ending up in the hands of Uralmash players. Only with the score 23:34 John Jenkins finally scored from beyond the arc, using all the time that the opponent gave him to aim.
In response, Yeuheni Beliankou scored two three-pointers in a row, 26:40, and then came the time for isolations: Miller, Jeremiah Martin, Martyuk scored one after another. Uralmash returned to quick passing on the perimeter – and by the big break brought the score to 36:49. The accuracy percentage at this point was telling enough: the guests had 50% (6/12) three-pointers and 61% (11/18) two-pointers; we had 22% (4/18) and 43% (7/16).
Almost 4,000 fans in the Basket Hall hoped to see the same counter-run in the 2nd half as it was two days before. And Lokomotiv really got going in defense as the game resumed. For example, when Dalton ran away on a counterattack, Whaley was able to reach him and block a shot.
Lokomotiv locked their hoop and began to gradually score: Miller ran to the hoop, McCall found a space to throw a mid-range shot, Jenkins showed that he is capable of hitting not only from beyond the arc, Miller scored once again. Despite Martin’s two 3-pointers, the hosts won a quarter with a “+1”, which in total made it 49:61.
It was just a matter of going all in – and Loko tried to. McCall made up 2 points, Dalton missed, but Cleveland was also inaccurate from afar. Martin returned the gap to “-12”, but in a long, stubborn attack, Cleveland found an opportunity to score 2+1.
Ellis scored the next 5 points, but then Kirill Yelatontsev finally woke up – he brought the team another 2+1, then Whaley made a block, and Cleveland in a counterattack finally returned the margin to a number consisting of one digit, 59:68.
Basket Hall turns mad in anticipation of the chase. Kardanakhishvili, under this pressure, drops the ball out of bounds. Cleveland is fouled, scores 1 of 2 – 60:68. But Douglas immediately hits the mid-range shot, and McCall misses in a similar situation. In the next episode, Ellis is called for an offensive foul. And then a technical for arguing – it is the fifth one for Uralmash center!
Jenkins is sent to the line – this assignment is clearly for him, 61:70. Loko keeps the ball, but Miller misses from beyond the arc, and McCall misses another one after the rebound. As for Dalton, his three-pointer is right on target. Miller rushes into a lightning-fast run – wide again! And Kardanakhishvili puts his shot in – 61:75 with 1.42 left…
Lokomotiv spends all the remaining seconds in a furious fight. And even plays back to the difference, which can create the appearance of a tense ending for someone who did not watch the game. But it is obvious that to win against such an opponent, much greater involvement from many more Lokomotiv players is needed than happened that evening.
Now we will play twice in Yekaterinburg – on April 27 at 2 PM MSK and on April 29 at 5:30 PM MSK.
We believe in the team! Such difficulties must harden us. The goal is the same. Go, Loko!