Zenit wins at the end of the second semifinal match
From the very first seconds at the CSC Arena, the home team took the court with captain Sergey Karasev, Trent Frazier, Dwayne Bacon, Vince Hunter and Andrey Vorontsevich in the starting five.
The beginning was chaotic. Both teams failed to score on their first attempts — Zenit missed mid-range shots, while Lokomotiv couldn’t hit from beyond the arc. However, by the second minute, the visitors opened the scoring with a three-pointer, which Bacon answered with a confident and-one. Early on, the Krasnodar side tried to pull away, but Zenit quickly cut the run short, and the game turned into a gritty, hard-fought battle. This pace, however, favored Loko. The Krasnodar team found their rhythm and began to build a lead. A timeout by Xavi Pascual didn’t help change the tide, and the first quarter ended in favor of the visitors — 15:28.
In the second period, the tension only escalated. Several tough battles under Zenit’s basket led to five straight free throws for Lokomotiv, helping them extend their lead to "+17". Zenit, meanwhile, focused on field goals. Zhbanov and Frazier each hit a three-pointer, prompting the Krasnodar team to call a timeout. But there was no stopping the home side: Trent added two more from deep, Hunter scored off an offensive rebound, and then threw down a powerful dunk on a fast break. A 17:0 run allowed Zenit to tie the game in just three minutes. Although Loko quickly recovered and started scoring again, the court became increasingly heated: by the middle of the quarter, center Andrey Martiuk (4 fouls) and guard Tahjere McCall (3 fouls) were committing frequent infractions and had to sit, shortening Loko’s rotation. By the end of the quarter, the game resembled a battlefield: nearly every contact drew a whistle, and both teams were frequently at the line. By halftime, Zenit had hit 17 of 23 free throws, while the Krasnodar side converted 21 of 22. The teams went to the locker room with the scoreboard showing 45:50 in favor of Loko.
Throughout the third quarter, Zenit tried to erase the deficit. However, the visitors held firm, occasionally increasing their lead, and each point came at a premium for the St. Petersburg team. Despite a slick drive by White, a mid-range jumper by Shved, and a pair of captain’s threes, the quarter was more measured. Still, Poythress’s free throws in the final minute helped narrow the gap heading into the last quarter — 62:65.
The final period started with two long-range shots from the Krasnodar side, which significantly complicated things for Zenit. Down by nine, the coaching staff called another timeout. The adjustments worked perfectly, and Zenit launched another comeback: Zhbanov hit back-to-back threes, Bacon dazzled in the paint, and Poythress cleaned up on the offensive glass. Lokomotiv Kuban, now missing fouled-out McCall and Uzinskiy, repeatedly missed shots and ran into stiff defensive resistance from Zenit. After a steal, Georgy Zhbanov broke away and slammed the ball home to the roar of the crowd. By the closing minutes, Zenit had taken the lead. Zhbanov’s final three-pointer in the last minute essentially sealed the game. Zenit claimed its 25th win and set a new VTB United League record for the longest winning streak, including playoff games. Final score — 85:80.
Zenit’s top scorers were Dwayne Bacon (20 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal), Georgy Zhbanov (14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals) and Trent Frazier (14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal).
The VTB United League semifinal series now heads south. This Sunday, May 11, Xavi Pascual’s team will face Lokomotiv Kuban again in Game 3 at Krasnodar’s Basket-Hall. Tip-off is at 14:00 St. Petersburg time.
