This is the best-of-five series. Since UNICS took a higher place in the regular season, the first two games (and, if necessary, the fifth) will be held in Kazan – May 26, 28 and June 5. At least one game of the series will be held in Krasnodar – May 31. And if none of the teams wins the series 3-0, then we will play at our Basket Hall once again, on June 2.
UNICS had two sweeps in the current playoffs: they steamrolled Avtodor in the quarterfinals (99:70, 100:85, 95:59), but were demolished in the semifinals by CSKA (56:67, 87:95, 86:90, 64:76).
The Kazan team leads the playoffs in interceptions (9.4), is second in defense (they concede 77.4 points on average per game), assists (19.6) and free throw accuracy (77.7%).
Lokomotiv Kuban is currently in the Top 3 team statistics for rebounds (40.1 – 1st place in the playoffs), points scored (84.4 – 3rd) and blocks (2.8 – also 3rd).
In addition, Patrick Miller is third in the playoffs for points (17.7) and assists (4.9); Isaiah Whaley is also third (1.2 blocks).
UNICS has a player who is leading by a huge margin in one statistical category during the playoffs. This is Mikhail Belenitsky. The 22-year-old forward constantly gets in the starting five of his team – and makes 2.3 steals per game (his closest pursuer, Ivan Ukhov from CSKA, has 1.8). In addition, Belenitsky scores 3.9 points in the decisive part of the season, makes 3.4 rebounds and is in the Top-3 of his team in blocks (0.3).
UNICS’ best assistant in the playoffs is shooting guard Dmitry Kulagin (4.1), who is also always in the starting five, scoring 4.7 points and making 2.3 rebounds.
The Kazan team has another player who has been a consistent starter in this playoffs – forward Andrei Lopatin. He scores 44.4% of his 3-pointers (2.6 attempts per game) and averages 6.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals.
UNICS’ starting center is almost always Ismaёl Bako. He is third in rebounds in the current playoffs (6.7), and the Belgian’s other stats are pretty good: 9.4 points, 0.7 steals, 0.6 blocks. It’s no coincidence that Bako was included in the VTB United League’s Team of the semifinal round.
Jalen Reynolds plays as a backup center for UNICS. However, the word “backup” may not seem appropriate if you look at the 32-year-old American’s statistics: 15.1 points (the best among his players and 8th in the entire playoffs), 4.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks. It’s also worth noting his 3-point percentage – 47.4 on 2.7 attempts per game.
UNICS has another powerful joker in the backcourt: point guard Marcos Knight has never started in the starting five in these playoffs, but that doesn’t stop him from being second on his team in points (13.3), assists (3.3), steals (1.4) and third in rebounds (4.6). He also makes 3-pointers at a percentage higher than 40 – namely, 41.2% (2.4 attempts per game).
UNICS’ third scorer at this stage of the season is forward DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell: 11.0 points, as well as 2.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists.
Just before the playoffs, the Kazan team was joined by two legionnaires. Comboguard Darrun Hilliard has 91 games for the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs on his resume, as well as two seasons (from 2019 to 2021) with CSKA. During the current quarterfinals and semifinals, he scored 44% of 3-pointers (1.6 out of 3.6 attempts), which in total allowed him to score 8.7 points with 1.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists.
Another UNICS newcomer is point guard Marcus Keane. In the 2020/21 season, he already played in the VTB United League for Kalev and became the best scorer of the regular season, also making it to the Team of the tournament. As part of the Kazan team, Keane scores 9.1 points, throwing from beyond the arc with an accuracy of 44.8% (1.9 out of 4.1 attempts), makes 2.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists. He is also the smallest player in the league at the moment – 175 cm.
Also playing for UNICS in the playoffs were forward Sergei Toropov (5 games, 1.6 points, 1.2 rebounds, 0.2 steals), 19-year-old point guard Roman Ilyuk (4 games, 0.5 points, 0.5 assists) and shooting guard Artyom Komolov (2 games, 2.5 points, 0.5 assists).
In the regular season, Lokomotiv Kuban and UNICS played each other four times: we won 78:71 in October and 87:75 in December, lost 95:103 in March, but won again in April, 94:82.
We believe that we will be able to beat UNICS three more times in the medal series. Go, Loko!
Today’s game will be broadcasted live on the Krasnodar, Match TV and Start TV channels, as well as on our website (on the main page).