The biggest stories from the past seven days in the League.
Revenge
Lokomotiv-Kuban and Zenit met for the 4th time this season, including the EuroCup. Krasnodar swept the first three games, but it was all Zenit on Saturday as Vasily Karasev’s club extended its League-winning streak to 12 games. St. Petersburg has another big game with Khimki on the horizon, but looks like the favorite to lock up the #2 seed in the playoffs and avoid a match-up with CSKA until the finals.
Fast Break
No Go Without Shved
Alexey Shved was named the EuroCup MVP on Monday: exciting news for both him and the team. But the day quickly soured when it was revealed he would not be available for the showdown vs. CSKA. Playing without its best player, Moscow Region had no answers for the Army machine. Khimki fell behind by 15 points in the first five minutes and never recovered.
CSKA has been dominant vs. Khimki this season, winning by 16 and 22 points, respectively.
Shot
CSKA forward Mardy Collins followed teammate Ryan Broekhoff’s recent example, sinking a buzzer-beater from beyond halfcourt in the game against Zenit.
Record
UNICS center Artsiom Parakhouski looked like Wilt Chamberlain against Avtodor, putting up a personal League-record 30 points to go with 10 rebounds. His dominance in the paint helped Kazan snap its losing streak and ease some of the pressure on the team.
The Belarusian giant’s 15 field goals in 17 attempts also ranks second in League history for field goals made.
Gratitude
Parakhouski would be happy to repay his teammates for their support in his career game.
“The record’s nice, but the team’s win is more important. Is the team going to celebrate my record? I think the center should have to treat the team after a game like this.”
Rebuild
Earlier in the week, Tsmoki-Minsk parted ways with head coach Igor Grishchuk, who had been with the club since 2014. He was replaced by Alexander Krutikov, the Belarusian national team head coach. Several players have also left the team in recent weeks: Dru Joyce, Djordje Gagic and Nemanja Milosevic.
New-look Tsmoki put Enisey to the test, winning three of the four quarters, but couldn’t snap its losing streak. A big 4th quarter from the Siberians sent the Dragons to their 5th consecutive loss.
Goodwill
Parma did not pick up its long-awaited first win against Nizhny Novgorod, despite another tight finish. But the game in Perm may have been a life-changer for one young fan.
Perm is fundraising for Kirill Sadkin, who was born with a heart defect. The entire ticket proceeds from the game with Nizhny Novgorod will be used for Kirill’s medical expenses. He’s already had three operations on his heart in two years, but needs a life-saving procedure in Germany that costs several million rubles. Parma failed to win its first game in the League, but helped Kirill take a big step toward getting better.
Derby
VEF has enjoyed a much better campaign than Baltic rival Kalev, completing the 2-0 season sweep with a win in Tallinn, 82-74. Riga now boasts a 10-9 record and could clinch a playoff spot in the next week or two.
Comeback
Nizhny Novgorod guard Maxim Grigoryev continues to battle knee injuries. On Sunday, the talented guard made his second return of the season. Grigoryev returned from an ACL tear in November, but only played five games before hurting his meniscus and undergoing surgery in January. Let’s hope he stays healthy this time around.
Stat
12 – Zenit matched its club record for consecutive wins.
Record
100 – UNICS guard Keith Langford played his 100th game in the League in Sunday’s win over Avtodor. The American has been in the League five season (two with Khimki, three with UNICS). Langford has scored 1,848 points in 100 games, putting him 2nd all-time behind CSKA’s Vitaly Fridzon (1,868).
Quote
Parma head coach Viacheslav Shushakov:
– We were up against the wall. We needed a win and we could feel the pressure. You could see how guys responded during the game.
Stars
Sergey Karasev (Zenit)
Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Marks said Karasev is undeniably talented in a recent visit to Moscow and that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Russian forward returned to the NBA. A few days later, Karasev did everything he could to back up Marks’ statement, dropping 23 points in a big win over Loko.
Artsiom Parakhouski (UNICS)
UNICS has only won once in its last 10 games, including the EuroLeague. Parakhouski’s career game couldn’t have come at a better time, helping the Tatar club get back on the winning track.
Kenny Boynton (Nizhny Novgorod)
Boynton played all but 11 seconds of the game against Parma. He repaid his coach’s trust, putting up 27 points, five rebounds, six assists, three steals and a 29 efficiency rating (2nd-best this week).
Janis Blums (VEF)
Blums made a statement in the first half against Kalev, knocking down seven 3-pointer for 21 points in 11 minutes. He finished with 31, helping his team to a valuable road win, while leading the League in scoring over the weekend.
Image
