Zenit falls behind in the series for the bronze medals of the VTB United League

Zenit lost to Lokomotiv-Kuban in Game 5 of the series for the bronze medals of the 2025/26 VTB United League. The game took place in St. Petersburg and ended with a score of 76:84 in favor of the visitors (2-3 in the series).

Before the start of Game 5, good news arrived for the Blue-White-Sky Blues fans — Georgy Zhbanov was included in the roster for the decisive match and was ready to help the team in the battle for bronze. Zenit’s starting five for today featured Georgy, as well as Andre Roberson, Trent Frazier, Andrey Martiuk, and Xavier Moon.

In the opening minutes of the game, the hosts from St. Petersburg were in the lead. Rostislav Vergun’s team was effective in the paint and strong on the boards, scoring second-chance points. After Lokomotiv cut the gap to 12:10, Zenit went on an 8:0 run (thanks to Moon, Karasev, and Bako) and built a double-digit lead. Following that productive stretch from the Blue-White-Sky Blues, Lokomotiv Kuban’s coaching staff called the first timeout, which helped the visitors stabilize their play. Zenit did not score again in the quarter, while the red-greens reduced the gap to the minimum — 20:19 in favor of St. Petersburg.

The second quarter was played at a more even pace, without major runs or drops from either side. The teams traded leads throughout the period. Xavier Moon stood out for Zenit, repeatedly adding points to the Blue-White-Sky Blues’ tally. However, closer to halftime, the momentum shifted to the Krasnodar side, which confidently took the quarter — 40:45.

After halftime, Zenit continued chasing the game. The team’s leading scorers of the day — Moon, Roberson, and Frazier — pushed the offense forward, mainly scoring from close range. Lokomotiv Kuban, meanwhile, held firm defensively, converting both fast-break opportunities and half-court possessions, maintaining their advantage — 57:63 going into the final quarter.

At the start of the fourth, the teams exchanged three-pointers: Vorontsevich hit one for Zenit, while Martin answered for the opponent. Overall, the gap remained largely unchanged. Zenit needed a spark — a surge that could allow Rostislav Vergun’s team to turn the game around and erase the steady 5-8 point deficit. It seemed that such an emotional boost came — a Frazier alley-oop to Martyuk, met by the roar of the home crowd, lifted the team. With 3:18 remaining, Lokomotiv called another timeout with the scoreboard showing 73:76 in favor of Krasnodar. However, after the pause and adjustments from Tomislav Tomovic, Lokomotiv scored on a couple of possessions, while Zenit’s offense stalled. The comeback never materialized. The Blue-White-Sky Blues lost 76:84, and the bronze medals went to the Kuban side.

The best performers for Zenit today were Xavier Moon (23 points, 6 assists, 3 steals, 1 rebound) and Andre Roberson (16 points, 9 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2 assists, 2 steals).

On Sunday, June 14, a fan meeting dedicated to the end of the season will take place at the Zenit Basketball Academy (Severnaya Road, 12). Start time is 18:00, admission is free.