Zenit secures second win in the series
The blue-whites defeated PARMA in the second game of the quarterfinal series of the VTB United League. Like the first game, the match was held on Zenit's home court. More details in our report.
The starting five of Zenit: team captain Sergey Karasev, Trent Frazier, Dwayne Bacon, Vince Hunter and Andrey Vorontsevich.
The match started perfectly for the Petersburg team. From the very beginning, Zenit completely shut down their opponents and quickly gained a significant lead. Accurate three-pointers from Frazier and Vorontsevich, and especially a high-scoring performance by Bacon, allowed the hosts to pull ahead by "+17". During this stretch, Dwayne was the undisputed leader of the team, displaying an outstanding game under the basket. However, by the end of the first quarter, PARMA managed to find their rhythm. Several successful attacks, including a three-pointer from Timofey Yakushin, as well as drives from Ilnitsky and Ruzhentsev, allowed the Perm team to reduce the deficit and set the stage for a mini-comeback. The first quarter ended with a score of 28:15 in favor of Zenit.
After a short break, the guests continued to press. The duo of Zakharov and Ruzhentsev confidently scored points, and by the middle of the second quarter, the Ural team's deficit was reduced to "-7". This surge forced Xavi Pascual to call his first timeout, not only in this match but also in the entire quarterfinal series. PARMA's pressure continued for a while, but the end of the quarter was dominated by Zenit. The team stepped up offensively: Bacon was accurate from long range, Hunter attacked the basket, and Karasev confidently hit free throws. The teams went to the big break with a score of 47:37.
In the second half, Zenit played more cohesively. Aggressive defense and smart team play left the opponents with no space to maneuver. Almost everyone who came on the court made a significant contribution to the result: Zhbanov, Poythress and Bacon scored from close range, Frazier and Karasev hit from long range, Vorontsevich stood out after an offensive rebound, and Hunter confidently made free throws. Before the final quarter, the scoreboard at the CSC Arena displayed 73:55.
In the final period, the blue-whites calmly brought the game to a close. At the start of the quarter, Hunter was active, dunking and then completing an "and-one" play. Meanwhile, the Ural team had already accepted the outcome of the game, and a five-player lineup made entirely of Russians, including young players Lev Svinin and Gleb Firsov, took the court. In the final minutes, Zenit players Georgy Zhbanov and Denis Zakharov made shots from beyond the arc. The match ended with a score of 92:79.
The top performers for Zenit were Dwayne Bacon (20 points + 2 rebounds + 1 assist + 1 steal + 1 block), Vince Hunter (14 points + 5 rebounds + 3 steals + 3 blocks + 2 assists) and Trent Frazier (12 points + 7 assists + 3 rebounds + 3 steals).
The series now moves to Perm. The third game of the quarterfinals will take place on April 27 at the Molot sports palace. The match will begin at 17:00 Petersburg time.
