By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Only four games this week in VTB United League but there were all packed with solid action, heroic performances, lots of highlights and one of the prettiest game-winning shots of the season.
We are talking of course about Matt Janning’s three-pointer that practically saved Lokomotiv Kuban from the claws of Enisey on the road. Thanks to his bucket and Kevin Jones’ dominant performance, the team from Krasnodar is now the sole holder of the second spot of the standings, right below CSKA Moscow that had a day off.
When it comes to the rest of the games, we saw two heavy favorites confirming their quality against their opponents since Zenit St. Petersburg and Khimki Moscow had faced few problems against Astana and Kalev Tallinn respectively. Lastly, VEF Riga achieved a brilliant roadkill by downing Nizhny Novgorod, thanks to a particular veteran’s lethality from beyond the arc.
MVP of the Week: Kevin Jones (Lokomotiv Kuban)
Lokomotiv Kuban faced huge problems against Enisey on the road and could’ve easily been a victim of an upset if not for Janning’s basket. But before his last-second intervention from downtown, Kevin Jones was the one to keep his team’s head above the water. He finished with 26 points (on a super 11/13 from the field) 4 rebounds and 2 assists and was also the one to sink a jumper for the 85 – 83. If not for his performance, it’s quite possible that his team wouldn’t have a chance to claim victory in final moments.
Best Five of the Week:
Janis Blums (VEF Riga)
Not only did he drop 19 points apart from dishing out 4 assists in the road victory over Nizhny, but some of his sharpshooting arrived in the most timely manner. The Latvian veteran managed a four-point play to send his team to the final period with a lead of 4 plus the psychology that comes from such sequences, and latter, when the hosts rallied for a comeback, he pushed them back with consecutive strikes from the perimeter.
Vladimir Pichkurov (Enisey)
He played only 15 minutes vs Lokomotiv Kuban due to foul trouble but they were enough to make a serious impact. The 16 points season-high he scored or the 4 steals he managed, don’t say much about his contribution in what could’ve been a superb win for Enisey. His defensive efforts (4 steals) and his guidance on the other end gave a large boost to his team and he would’ve been the MVP if not for the shot of the week by Janning.
Ryan Toolson (Zenit St. Petersburg)
Top scorer with 24 points and second best passer after five assists in Zenit’s win over Astana. Toolson had 4/6 two-pointers and 3/9 triples plus he won 5 fouls, most of them on shooting attempts. Best part of the story? No turnovers at all in the 24 minutes he stayed on court.
Kevin Jones (Lokomotiv Kuban)
A force inside the paint once more for Lokomotiv Kuban, this time in a match that smelled danger.
Marko Todorovic (Khimki Moscow)
He towered over the frontline of Kalev Tallinn with extreme ease, scoring 17 points on 4/6 from the field and 5/5 from the line and grabbing 7 rebounds. His contribution on both ends, which also included three assists, is perfectly pictured in the +26 Khimki had while he was on court. The highest among his teammates.
Coach of the Week: Janis Gailitis (VEF Riga)
It’s not easy to stop the rhythm of a team like Nizhny Novgorod, especially when the latter play at home. But coach Gailitis’ plan bore such fruits and that was a key factor behind the road win of VEF Riga. The Russians averaged 96 points in front of their fans in their VTB games prior to this match but managed only 74 vs Riga. They weren’t able to run the court and never truly gained momentum, even during moments when they were ahead in the score. Also, the Latvian squad knew when and how to use its fouls to hurt their opponents’ tempo, with bets that paid off since Nizhny had a poor 16/30 from the line.
Hero of the Day: Matt Janning (Lokomotiv Kuban)
The American swingman wasn’t experiencing what would’ve call a good shooting night in his team’s game against Enisey. Actually, he entered the final stretch with… 0/5 from downtown. But that didn’t stop him from assuming responsibility when the ball was hot and unbearably heavy.
With 8 seconds left on the game-clock and his team down 85 – 83, he grabbed the rebound after Anthony Hillard’s missing free-throw, ran the floor, locked and loaded right in time for the go-ahead downtown bucket that extended Loko’s 11-game winning streak. Crazy number.
Burying the game-winning basket from beyond the arc while 0/5 before? That’s clutch!