We lose on the road, the series returns to St. Petersburg

Zenit lost to UNICS away in the fifth game of the VTB United League semifinals. The match took place in Kazan and ended with a score of 83:66 in favor of the opponent. Ahead of the sixth game, the Blue-White-Sky Blues maintain their lead in the series — 3-2.

From the very first seconds, Andre Roberson, Trent Frazier, Johnny Juzang, Andrey MartIuk, and Georgy Zhbanov appeared on the court for our team. Ismaël Bako, who has recovered from injury, returned to the roster, but Vladislav Emchenko missed the game in Kazan due to a right calf muscle injury.

The shootout on the court began with the hosts leading 5:0, but soon Zenit not only managed to level the game but also seized the initiative — by the middle of the quarter, the Blue-White-Sky Blues led 8:16, and UNICS called a timeout. Velimir Perasović's adjustments worked instantly, and the gap was reduced to one possession. St. Petersburg responded with their own run (Vorontsevich and Juzang were accurate from beyond the arc), but by the first break, the greens once again tried to erase the deficit, largely thanks to Alexey Shved's productive actions — 20:23.

The second ten-minute period was filled with a lot of contact and hustle. For most of the time, Zenit still led, with points often coming from mid-range. The only time UNICS pulled ahead in this quarter was met with two straight three-pointers from Zhora Zhbanov, who returned his team to the lead. However, the stretch still belonged to the Kazan side, and the teams went into the locker room with a minimal difference — 42:43.

The third quarter was perhaps the key to this game. Specifically, its ending — until then, the teams alternated in the lead through intense opposition, but in the final minutes, UNICS pulled ahead, while the Blue-White-Sky Blues' offense failed to convert their opportunities — 62:56. In the decisive fourth quarter, the opponent only confirmed their advantage and secured the win — 83:66.

The sixth game of the VTB United League semifinal series will take place on May 25 in St. Petersburg at the CSC Arena court. Tip-off is at 20:00 local time. Tickets are on sale.