For Uralmash, this was their first VTB United League season opener, but for Lokomotiv, it was their fourth: in 2021 and 2023, the Krasnodar team lost to UNICS twice in Kazan (87:96 and 73:91), and in 2013, they beat Kalev at home (88:74).
Basket Hall attracted a good crowd—the automatic counting system recorded 4,808 spectators.
The Krasnodar club’s medical staff recommended leaving Kirill Yelatontsev out of the lineup, so Vince Hunter started, along with Patrick Miller, Jeremiah Martin, Kirill Temirov, and Anton Kvitkovskikh. Uralmash’s starting center, Octavius Ellis, also missed the game.
The first points of the new season were scored by Kvitkovskikh, followed shortly by a mid-range jumper from Temirov. In following minutes, Uralmash reduced the gap slightly thanks to two 3-pointers from Timofey Gerasimov, but a high-contact layup by Hunter and a dunk by Kvitkovskikh restored the margin to 5 points, 11:6.
The visitors continued to score from beyond the arc – Evgeny Belyankov made it next. Lokomotiv responded with a strong defence: Martin made a steal (after which Kvitkovskikh scored his 7th point in five minutes), Daniil Kasko forced Anton Kardanakhishvili make an offensive foul – and with the score 16:9, the Uralmash coaches called a timeout.
But Loko kept pushing hard: after a 3-pointer by Temirov and a cool midrange turnaround shot by Kassius Robertson, the gap became double-digit, 25:14. The teams finished the first quarter at that distance, 29:18.
Hayden Dalton led Yekaterinburg’s run at the start of the 2nd quarter with 5 consecutive points. But Royce Hamm scored on two consecutive attacks, and stopped the opponent’s momentum. Makar Konovalov’s 2+1 made it 40:23.
Uralmash began playing the zone defense, and Loko struggled to score. Soon the guests were within 8 points, and even though Miller brought us points on two consecutive attacks, the gap soon shortened more, to 44:37. Before the end of the quarter, the teams exchanged with 1+0’s from the free-throw line, making it 45:38.
Both head coaches clearly made significant defensive adjustments during the break, as the third quarter saw a significantly more tense game. In that struggle, Uralmash managed to get within one possession midway through the period, 50:48. Anton Yudin called a timeout, but after that, neither team could score for a long time, until Martin finally hit the target with a mid-range shot.
Nevertheless, Uralmash quickly tied the game thanks to long-range shots by Kardanakhishvili and Tyrell Nelson. And soon they took the lead. The final minutes of the quarter saw frequent lead changes, but by the final break, Loko held the lead, 59:58.
The switching continued at the start of the 4th period: Uralmash was good from the perimeter, while Lokomotiv’s Kvitkovskikh too. When the visitors managed to pull ahead by 3 points (65:68), Temirov stepped up, scoring 2+1 to tie the game with 7.12 left to play.
Gerasimov and Kvitkovskikh scored each in a run under the hoop, then Uralmash took a 3-point lead, but Kvitkovskikh tied it again, 74:74. Nevels also scored from beyond the arc, but Kvitkovskikh continued to be on fire, this time powerfully running to the hoop, and making it 76:77. In the next episode, Dalton put in the shot from the very corner at the end of 24 seconds, but he stepped out of bounds a bit earlier, and soon Hunter gave Loko the lead!
Krasnodar’s pressure forced the opponent to violate the 5-second rule on the throw-in, but Kardanakhishvili immediately made a steal and scored 2 points on the fast break. Then another steal, and Nevels scored from the perimeter, 78:82 with 1.25 left.
Hunter quickly scores 2 points. Kardanakhishvili fires back from four meters out – wide. Robertson coolly takes advantage of the opportunity to give Lokomotiv the lead – he scores from afar, over the opponent’s hands, 83:82!
Rostislav Vergun calls a timeout. 30 seconds left, and Javonte Douglas scores 2 points despite tough resistance from Hunter and Miller. Now it’s Yudin’s turn to call a timeout. Miller rushes to the basket – misses, but the out of bounds ball is awarded to Loko. And Kvitkovskikh gives his team the lead, 85-84, with 3 seconds left.
Uralmash calls a timeout. Temirov pressures Dalton so hard that the latter can’t get the ball up for a shot. It’s a foul, but it’s only our fourth of the quarter. The opponent is awarded another throw-in, with the clock at 2.2. But Nevels only has enough time to make a difficult turnaround shot from 5 meters. The ball bounces around the basket a couple of times before falling into the hoop. Well, the neutral fans must have really enjoyed this ending.
Lokomotiv will play their next game at home on Thursday, October 2. The opponent is Yenisei. See you at the stands!