Khimki Blitzes Loko For 2-0 Lead

Khimki Moscow Region defeated Lokomotiv-Kuban Krasnodar at home in Game 2 of the playoff quarterfinals, 97-83. Up 14 at halftime, Khimki cruised to victory in the second half, leading by as much as 25. Moscow Region picks up a 2-0 advantage as the series shifts to Krasnodar.

Intro
This quarterfinal series between two of the league's top clubs continued on Tuesday in Moscow Region. Looking to pick up a 2-0 series lead, Khimki also celebrated its 1000th game in club history. As in Game 1, the home team was missing James Augustine and Paul Davis, while Lokomotiv went without Malcolm Delaney and Anthony Randolph.

Unlike Sunday's contest, Khimki started strong, connecting on 10-14 3-point attempts in the first half. Dusko Ivanovic's club also played superior defense, limiting Krasnodar to only 37 first-half points. After scoring 19 points in the first half of Game 1, Loko's Ryan Broekhoff had only five at halftime (the visitors were led by seven apiece from Andrey Zubkov and Victor Claver).

Trailing by 14 points during the first half in Game 1, Khimki instead picked up a 14-point advantage in Game 2: 51-37 at the break.

Turning Point
The momentum in the game did not shift in the second half. Khimki drilled three straight 3-pointers to start the 3rd quarter (including two from Tyrese Rice) to go up 25 points. Krasnodar managed to cut the deficit to 13 late in the period, but a quick 4-0 run put Khimki back in control.

Leading by 17 points entering the 4th quarter, Moscow Region finished out the win to take a commanding 2-0 series lead. Krasnodar returns home with a big deficit, needing back-to-back wins in Krasnodar to force a Game 5.

Star Player
Tyrese Rice. One of Khimki's best players in Game 1, Rice was the unquestioned leader on Tuesday. He finished with 35 points on 10-12 shooting, including seven 3-pointers, to match the playoff scoring record set earlier in the day by Janis Timma. He also had five assists with only one turnover.

Stat of the Game
17 - number of Khimki 3-pointers (57%). Moscow Region's 3-pointers were a key factor in Game 1 (16) and made an even bigger difference in Game 2.