Quarterfinals. Recap

VTB-League.com recaps the action in the playoff quarterfinals, highlighting the top performers and most exciting moments.

No Sweat. CSKA swept Astana in three games
The Army Men were heavily favored entering the series and matched expectations by winning the series, 3-0. Incredibly, CSKA won each game by an average of 43.7 points.

Injury Woes
Astana lost most of its frontcourt to injuries late in the season: Nik Caner-Medley, Pat Calathes and Luksa Andric. Guard J'Covan Brown also suffered an injury in the final regular season game vs. Zenit. Caner-Medley, Brown and Calathes were all starters when healthy but only Calathes was able to play against CSKA, returning in time for Game 3.

The Kazakh club performed a minor miracle simply by qualifying for the postseason, but had no chance against a far deeper CSKA squad, especially given the injuries.

Astana played two very different halves in Game 1. The visitors played CSKA even in the first half, but Dimitris Itoudis managed to light a fire under his men at halftime, and the Army Men played inspired defense over the final 20 minutes. Astana only scored 16 points in the second half.

Astana's starters competed quite well in Game 1, but the bench struggled, scoring just seven points. The Red-Blues went on to win by 45, 103-58.

Disappearing Act
Astana really had a tough time in Game 2. Jerry Johnson and Rasid Mahalbasic both had bad games, combining for just 10 points on 4-12 shooting. Not surprisingly, CSKA dominated from the opening tip, racing to a 50-point win, 110-60.

Surprise
Calathes's return from injury and a return home gave Astana some reasons for optimism entering Game 3. But the Army Men had a surprise ready for the Kazakhs. Itoudis decided to go big, starting Viktor Khryapa at small forward. The Russians shut down the paint and picked up a double-digit lead in the 1st quarter thanks to hot starts from Alexander Kaun and Andrey Vorontsevich. Astana briefly threatened in the 2nd quarter, but Kaun and Vorontsevich helped CSKA pull away again by halftime. Vorontsevich ended the game with 19 points on 7-8 shooting in 22 minutes. He also added five rebounds and four assists. CSKA went on to secure a 111-75 victory and advance to the semis.

Series Stat
12-12 - the Army Men outscored Astana in each of the 12 quarters in the series.

Quotable
CSKA head coach Dimitris Itoudis after Game 1:
- It's pretty obvious that we saw two different pictures in the first and second half, especially on defense. During the break we talked about how we needed to play better defense. Ultimately, we only gave up 16 points following halftime.

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Revenge. Lokomotiv-Kuban swept UNICS in three games
Krasnodar took revenge on Kazan for its March defeat in the Eurocup quarterfinals.

Breakthrough
Lokomotiv guard Evgeny Voronov tweaked his ankle in practice one day before Game 1. Everyone knew that Voronov would play through the pain, but it was unclear how effective he would be on the court.

He ended up playing one of his best games of the season and thriving all series long. The Kuban Tony Allen played lockdown defense, energized his teammates throughout the contest and finished with 15 points. Kuban won the game in the 2nd quarter, holding UNICS to 12 points to grab an eight-point lead. The Red-Greens had complete control of the second half, helped by Kazan's 17 turnovers. UNICS also suffered from an uncharacteristically poor performance from Keith Langford, who went just 1-4 from the field in his first game back from injury. Loko won Game 1, 74-63.

Bright Side
Lokomotiv played perhaps its best basketball of the season in the first half of Game 2. Krasnodar was hot from the perimeter, while controlling the paint and piling up points on fast breaks. The home team took a big lead in the 1st quarter and kept adding to in the 2nd quarter. These were Lokomotiv's first half stats: 10-23 on twos, 6-9 on threes, 19-19 from the line, 18 assists and zero turnovers. The Railwaymen led 57-29 at halftime and looked certain to celebrate a second straight win.

Quotable
Lokomotiv-Kuban head coach Sergei Bazarevich after Game 2:
- We had a huge advantage in the first half and played perhaps our best basketball of the season for 20 minutes. During halftime we tried to get through to the guys and explain that the game wasn't over. I also probably made some mistakes in the first five minutes of the second half... When you're up by a lot and then your opponent cuts the deficit to 10 points, it often feels like the world is ending. I think a lot of people experience that. We showed our bright side and our dark side in these two halves.

Dark Side
It's no secret that Lokomotiv has run hot and cold over the course of the season, giving up big leads on several occasions when the game already appeared to be won. No one expected Lokomotiv to match its first half performance, but few could have predicted such an epic collapse, either. Give UNICS credit. They came out focused and energized and punished a relaxed Lokomotiv defense by knocking down six threes. Loko's lead was down to 12 points entering the 4th quarter.

In the end, Krasnodar's first half advantage was too big to squander. The home team regained control in the final period, securing an 89-75 win to go up 2-0 in the series.

Quotable
UNICS head coach Evgeny Pashutin after Game 2:
- We talked a lot with the refs today instead of getting back on defense. Due to our lack of discipline and chatter we stopped playing defense and lost our rhythm and concentration. We have to stop whining in Game 3. This is like a street fight. Even if you're outnumbered and they've got bats, you need to look your opponent in the eye and defend yourself. You can't hope someone's going to rescue you.

Satisfaction
UNICS also lost Curtis Jerrells to an Achilles injury in Game 2. But despite playing without a true point guard, Kazan was able to cause a lot of trouble for Lokomotiv in Game 3.

UNICS once again fell behind early. Kuban was hot from the perimeter in the opening quarter. Kazan, however, did a better job taking care of the ball and getting open shots. Evgeny Pashutin's men led by as much as seven points in the 4th quarter, giving the home fans hope of extending the series.

Lokomotiv guard Malcolm Delaney had other plans. He scored 14 points in the final five minutes, helping the Railwaymen finish the contest on a big run and win by a final score of 86-75. Loko ends UNICS's season in Kazan, takes revenge for the Eurocup elimination and advances to the semifinals.

Series Stat
6-1 - Lokomotiv won the season series against UNICS in convincing fashion (2-0 in the regular season, 3-0 in the playoffs and 1-1 in the Eurocup playoffs).

Quotable
Lokomotiv-Kuban head coach Sergei Bazarevich after Game 3:
- A 3-0 win in the series: revenge for the loss in the Eurocup and the revenge was sweet. That's why I was so upset at times by our sloppy play. We needed to win this series 3-0 and prove that that loss was a fluke. A 6-1 record against UNICS during the season says something. Give UNICS credit. Despite injuries, they tried to win. But I think Lokomotiv-Kuban as an organization deserves to go further.

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Class. Khimki knocked out Astana in three games
Khimki moved on quickly from its Eurocup championship, grounding Saratov's high-flying rookie club in three games.

Awakening
Avtodor finished the regular season with an 8-2 record in its final 10 games, including an impressive win in Moscow over CSKA. Khimki, of course, also had plenty of momentum. The Moscow Region club defeated Spain's Gran Canaria in the Eurocup finals three days before the start of the quarterfinals. The Eurocup title run took a big toll physically and mentally on Khimki and Rimas Kurtinaitis had to be concerned about his men's ability to buckle down on the next challenge.

His concerns were well founded. Courtney Fortson and Travis Peterson helped Saratov to an excellent first half, outrunning and outplaying a sluggish Khimki squad. If not for Sixth Man of the Year Petteri Koponen, the visitors might have led by double digits.

The game changed dramatically after halftime. Perhaps Khimki remembered last season's quarterfinals, when the team got swept in stunning fashion by Nizhny Novgorod. In any case, Khimki was transformed in the second half. The team's speed, ball movement and perimeter shooting all improved, giving Khimki a 34-19 advantage in the 3rd quarter. Moscow Region cruised to victory in the 4th quarter, securing a 99-77 win.

Remake
Game 2 was very similar to the opening contest. Thanks to Kyrylo Fesenko's dominance in the paint, Avtodor put up a good fight in the first half before crumbling in the 3rd quarter. Moscow Region used its advantage on the glass and second-chance points to win this game. The home team also shot 58% from inside the arc, compared to Saratov's 35% shooting. Rimas Kurtinaitis's men outscored Avtodor by 14 in the 3rd quarter to lead by 18 entering the 4th. Egor Vyaltsev slammed the door shut in the final quarter. Khimki won the contest, 87-71, to take a 2-0 series lead prior to Game 3 in Saratov.

Quotable
Khimki head coach Rimas Kurtinaitis after Game 2:
- I want to congratulate the guys on the win. It wasn't easy, but it also wasn't that tough. We took the lead midway through the 1st quarter and controlled the game from that point on. We didn't let our opponent get close.

Battle
Avtodor has one of the best fanbases in the league and the Saratov Sports Palace was witness to several upsets during the regular season, including a 25-point victory over Khimki in January.

The first half was very competitive and Avtodor did everything it could to avoid a repeat of Games 1 and 2 in the second half. Energized by the crowd, Saratov managed to hang around this time. There were several lead changes over the course of the second half, setting up for a dramatic finish.

Avtodor and Khimki are led by two of the league's best players: Courtney Fortson and Tyrese are among the candidates for MVP and have both delivered numerous stunning performances this season. Unfortunately for the Avtodor fans, crunch time in Game 3 belonged to Khimki's Rice. He was among the top scorers and turned in a terrific defensive performance against the explosive Fortson.

Koponen also chipped in, blocking a desperation 3-point attempt from Fortson in the final seconds. Khimki led by three at the time and who knows how the game would have ended if Fortson had made his shot. But Khimki stopped him and went on to enjoy an 89-87 victory and 3-0 series win.

Series Stat
47 - number of points scored by Khimki's bench in the first two games. Avtodor's bench was consistent, but not very productive, scoring 10 and 11 points in Games 1 and 2.

Quotable
Avtodor head coach Vladimir Rodionov after Game 3:
- You saw that Fortson ran out of gas, while Rice, his rival in the hunt for the regular season MVP, enjoyed a terrific game. Our starting point guard wanted to play 40 minutes in every game this season. This is what you get. He fell apart at the end of the game. Rice made a clown of him. This is probably the first time we've seen Fortson play second fiddle.

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Thriller. Nizhny Novgorod overcame Zenit in five games
Zenit and Nizhny finished the regular season in 4th and 5th place, respectively, setting up the most unpredictable quarterfinal series. The two clubs needed all five games to decide who would advance.

Prologue
Game 1 in St. Petersburg set the tone for the entire series. As Ainars Bagatskis would say at the post-game press conference: "the score was close and the little things decided everything." Zenit had the momentum, winning each of the first three quarters: 25-23, 17-16, 13-12. Players scrapped for every loose ball and the game was ultimately decided in the final seconds. Nizhny guard Gal Mekel hit a three to the score with eight seconds left on the clock, but he fouled Walter Hodge on the following possession, sending the Zenit guard to the free throw line. Hodge only made one of two attempts, but that was enough to give Zenit a 73-72 win.

Turnover and 3-pointer
Game 2 was just as packed with excitement and drama. The outcome came down to the final seconds and once again turned on the final possession. Nizhny Novgorod led through three quarters, but Zenit turned up the pressure in the 4th quarter to take a late lead. St. Petersburg could have put the game away, but a costly turnover by Hodge and Dmitry Kulagin with 15 seconds to go gave Nizhny a lifeline. The visitors had been prepared to foul, but instead got a chance to tie the game. Taylor Rochestie missed, but Nizhny got the rebound and Evgeny Baburin tied the score. Hodge had another chance to win it at the buzzer, but missed his layup, sending the game to overtime, 71-71.

The extra period was also full of drama. Nizhny captain Semen Antonov was the hero, knocking down a huge 3-pointer with 18 seconds left to give his team a four-point lead. Nizhny Novgorod won 84-80 and tied the series at 1-1.

Acceleration
Zenit and Nizhny put on another show in Game 3 with the outcome hanging in the balance until the 4th quarter. The two teams battled furiously in the first half, playing physical, gritty playoff basketball. Trey Thompkins helped Nizhny to a five-point lead at halftime.

After halftime, Nizhny briefly led by double digits before Kulagin went off for 14 points in two and a half minutes to give Zenit the lead entering the 4th quarter.

Despite foul trouble, the visitors hung tough in the first five minutes of the 4th quarter. But back-to-back threes from Baburin proved too much for Zenit to overcome. Nizhny led 69-66 and went on to finish the game on a 19-9 run.

Zenit lost both Evgeny Valiev and Kyle Landry to fouls, giving Nizhny far too much space to operate in the paint. Nizhny won the game 88-75 and took a 2-1 series lead.

Inevitability
The 2014 playoff finalists had won two straight and had an excellent opportunity to book a berth in the semifinals on their home court. But Zenit didn't want its season to be over and scored 20 points in the first five minutes to take a double-digit lead! Artsiom Parakhouski came off the bench to help Nizhny cut into the defense, though he got little help from Nizhny's starters. That was the story of the game. Zenit's starters nearly doubled up Nizhny's and the visitors led by 4-6 points most of the contest.

The two teams buckled down on defense in the final quarter, scoring six points apiece in the first six minutes. The Blue-White-Sky Blues ended the drought first and held on for an 83-76 victory to push the series to five games.

Experience
Just like Friday's Game 4, Zenit enjoyed an early lead. Nizhny Novgorod simply couldn't get any shots to fall as the home team pulled away 9-0.

The visitors got back into the game already in the 1st quater. Baburin and Parakhouski provided a boost off the bench and helped Nizhny take the lead in the 2nd quarter. Zenit head coach Vasily Karasev got some valuable minutes from Cameron Jones, who didn't play a single minute in Game 4. Jones helped the home team even up the score by halftime, 32-32.

Zenit and Nizhny both tried to minimize risk in the second half, trading basket for basket. Eventually, though, Nizhny's experienced and battle-tested crew began to take the upper hand. The visitors were more disciplined and got a big game from Tarence Kinsey on offense. Kinsey led the way with nine points late in the 3rd quarter to put his team on top by 5-6 points and give them some momentum entering the final period. Kulagin and Valiev kept Zenit afloat for much of the 4th, but a pair of misses from the free throw line from Valiev effectively doomed Zenit's chances. Nizhny Novgorod won the game and advanced to the semifinals.

Nizhny will now face CSKA in the next round. Zenit, meanwhile, has nothing to be ashamed of. The club exceeded expectations all season long and very nearly advanced to the league's final four in its debut season.

Series Stat
5 - the series between Zenit and Nizhny Novgorod went the distance and was one of the most competitive series yet in VTB United League playoff history.

Quotable
Nizhny Novgorod head coach Ainars Bagatskis after Game 3:
- We thought it would be a tough and physical game. Zenit tried to surprise us by almost completely changing its starting lineup. But I always say that we need to focus on our own game. When we took a solid lead, we started to show off. Zenit took advantage immediately. Then we started to take smarter shots. It got easier. It's good that we managed to limit Zenit's rebounding. We had trouble with that in the first two games. I want to praise Evgeny Baburin both for his 3-pointers at decisive moments as well as his defense. He did a good job on Hodge. Also, thanks to our fans. I was very impressed by the atmosphere today.

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Quarterfinals MVP
Trey Thompkins (Nizhny Novgorod). Nizhny Novgorod won the most competitive quarterfinal series and 24-year-old Thompkins was the most valuable player on Nizhny's squad. He started all five games, playing an average of 30 minutes per outing, more than anyone else on the team. He averaged 13.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.4 blocks and an efficiency rating of 18.0. Withouts his efforts on both ends of the court, Nizhny wouldn't have advanced.

Campaign
The VTB United League and Far Eastern Leopard's Return of the Leopard campaign was featured prominently throughout the quarterfinals.