PARMA defeated Lokomotiv Kuban in WINLINE Basket Cup group stage game on the road – 93:92 (23:25, 17:22, 25:21, 28:24).
Game progress
Lokomotiv Kuban started with 3 losses and had to beat PARMA (2-1, second place in Group A) to continue fighting for the playoffs. The desperate tournament position was reflected in the intense defense. The Krasnodar team regularly provoked turnovers (27 in total) and ran fast breaks. The Perm team tried to keep up the pace and had superiority in rebounds (34-23) and confident shooting (55.0%). As a result, the game was equal and went into clutch.
Key moment
The clutch time stretched to the very last seconds. Loko entered the final minute with a minimal lead, but PARMA pulled ahead after Jeremiah Martin’s turnovers and Victor Sanders’ made shots. Despite this, the hosts had a chance to win, but B.J Johnson’s missed half court shot.
X-factor
Gleb Firsov had his best scoring game in the Cup with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists on 7 of 11 field-goals and 6 of 6 free throws in just 18 minutes. In the previous 3 games of the tournament, the Russian center scored a total of 18 points.
Facts
Lokomotiv Kuban started with 0-4 and lost chance to make the playoffs.
The hosts were ahead for most of the game, but the guests tied the score with 30 seconds left and took the win.
The Perm team won their second clash over Loko in the WINLINE Basket Cup.
Ivan Samoylenko started the game and scored 13 points. In the previous 2 games, the young Russian scored a total of 8 points.
Leaders
Lokomotiv Kuban: Jeremiah Martin (17 + 6 assists), Vince Hunter (16 + 5 assists), Ivan Samoylenko (13), Mike Moore (10)
PARMA: Gleb Firsov (20 + 5 rebounds), Victor Sanders (16 + 5 assists), Jalen Adams (16 + 5 assists), Stanislav Ilnitskiy (15), Terrell Carter (14 + 9 rebounds)
Next game
UNICS (Russia) vs Igokea (Bosnia and Herzegovina) on January 28.