By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
This past Sunday in VTB League was full of action, with five key games ahead of the playoffs. While the playoffs picture is starting to look more clear, we still have a few games to go and every win counts.
MVP
Jonas Maciulis, Lokomotiv Kuban
The Lithuanian has long awaited for his moment to shine again and he achieved so against Parma, by adding an emphatic double-double for the winners. Maciulis finished the game with 13 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and a block, gathering 25 points of index rating. Not only that, but he paced Loko to a comfortable home victory with 94-64.
Let’s check out the most interesting stories from Sunday action:
Lokomotiv tied with Zenit in the third place
With said victory, Loko has an equal record in the standings as Zenit, 14-6, with an equal dynamic between them. Both have four games to go in the league’s regular season, with the first team having a slightly lighter schedule (they face VEF, Enisey, Khimki and Nizhny Novgorod). On the other hand, if Zenit wants to finish third, will have to overcome top contenders CSKA Moscow and Unics, as well as Enisey and Tsmoki.
Unics defends second place
Using great team work, Unics passed through Enisey with a narrow win. Six players of the winners scored in double-digits, with Jamar Smith’s 16 points leading the course. Melvin Ejim was close to a double-double of his own, with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Stephane Lasme’s domination in the paint added 15 more points for Unics, as the team moved up to 19-2.
Overtime in Saratov
Avtodor used an extra five-minute period to overcome VEF at home, despite being in charge during the first half. Branden Frazier stepped up for the Russians, with 28 points, six rebounds and four assists and helped the team seal the victory through sticks and stones. An important win for Avtodor nonetheless, as they currently rank sixth in the standings.
Final note
To put things in perspective, here are the league’s current standings:
|
#
|
TEAM
|
PTS
|
MP
|
W
|
L
|
POINTS
|
+/-
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
42
|
22
|
20
|
2
|
2057 – 1734
|
323
|
||
|
2
|
UNICS KAZAN
|
40
|
21
|
19
|
2
|
1788 – 1573
|
215
|
|
|
3
|
ZENIT SAINT PETERSBURG
|
33
|
19
|
14
|
5
|
1610 – 1593
|
17
|
|
|
4
|
LOKOMOTIV KUBAN
|
32
|
19
|
13
|
6
|
1589 – 1390
|
199
|
|
|
5
|
KHIMKI MOSCOW
|
33
|
21
|
12
|
9
|
1774 – 1664
|
110
|
|
|
6
|
AVTODOR
|
29
|
19
|
10
|
9
|
1644 – 1675
|
-31
|
|
|
7
|
NIZHNIY NOVGOROD
|
27
|
20
|
7
|
13
|
1677 – 1737
|
-60
|
|
|
8
|
PARMA BASKET PERM
|
27
|
20
|
7
|
13
|
1636 – 1697
|
-61
|
|
|
9
|
VEF RIGA
|
27
|
20
|
7
|
13
|
1545 – 1659
|
-114
|
|
|
10
|
BC TSMOKI MINSK
|
28
|
21
|
7
|
14
|
1552 – 1731
|
-179
|
|
|
11
|
BK ASTANA
|
29
|
22
|
7
|
15
|
1684 – 1751
|
-67
|
|
|
12
|
BC KALEV/CRAMO
|
30
|
24
|
6
|
18
|
2030 – 2196
|
-166
|
|
|
13
|
ENISEY
|
25
|
20
|
5
|
15
|
1576 – 1762
|
-186
|
|