By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After dropping Game 1, Zenit built a solid lead early in the second half and held on to secure the win, 76-67, against UNICS at Sibur Arena Sunday.
Recently-announced Sixth Man of the Year Billy Baron dropped 18 points and dished out five assists in Game 2 of the VTB United League Semifinals best-of-five series. Jordan Loyd added 17 points and five assists. The league’s Defensive Player of the Year Jordan Mickey chipped in 11 more points.
Evening the series at one win apiece was the reward for the team located in Saint Petersburg but the home-court advantage was stolen by the Kazan outfit in Game 1. Lorenzo Brown producing a game-high 25 points was not enough for UNICS to get a second win in a row on the road.
In the other series of the Semifinals, CSKA went up 2-0 versus Lokomotiv Kuban yesterday, Saturday. The Game 3 schedule stretches Tuesday through Wednesday shifting both series to the opposite venues. The 2021-22 champion will be decided in a best-of-seven series, while the losing sides of the Semifinals will match up in a best-of-five series for the third spot in the final rankings.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the war in Eastern Europe, Euroleague Basketball decided to withdraw the participation of CSKA, UNICS, and Zenit from the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, and the team based in Krasnodar from the 7DAYS EuroCup. Since late March, all four teams have been competing exclusively in the VTB and reached the Semifinals of the Playoffs.
Photo Credit: Basketball club Zenit Twitter