Stunning Comeback Gives UNICS 1-0 Lead

UNICS defeated Zenit at home, 94-93, in Game 1 of the playoff semifinals. Kazan looked disjointed in the first half, trailing by 15. But a terrific response from Keith Langford and Quino Colom, as well as several costly Zenit mistakes down the stretch, allowed the home team to storm back and steal a win in the final seconds.

Intro
Many expected UNICS to try and crush Zenit early, forcing the visitors to play catch-up. Instead, Zenit dealt the first punch, exposing Kazan's interior defense and knocking down seven 3-pointers in the first half. Evgeny Pashutin's men gave up an uncharacteristic 52 points in the opening 20 minutes and struggled to find their rhythm on the offensive end. The home team trailed by as much as 18 points in the 2nd quarter and ended the half in a 15-point hole, 52-37.

But Kazan refused to quit. After giving up a bucket to Zenit's Dmitry Golovin, the Tatar club put together an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to single digits. Colom, Langford and Latavious Williams led the way on offense, helping UNICS score 31 points in the 3rd quarter, including 17 from Langford!

Zenit struggled to match Kazan's intensity. Leading scorer Ryan Toolson was unable to play in the second due to an injury and the visitors managed only 19 points in the period, seeing the lead shrink to three.

Turning Point
Despite trailing briefly by three early in the 4th, Zenit stormed back to take a nine-point advantage, 91-82, with 1:05 to play. The game appeared to be over, but two straight turnovers from Janis Timma allowed the home team to go on a 7-0 run and cut the deficit to two, with less than thirty seconds to play.

On the next possession, Timma made one of two free throws. Langford responded with a dunk, pulling UNICS within one. With the game slipping away, Timma once again went 1-2 at the line, and Colom made Zenit pay, slicing through the defense for a layup and foul. The Spaniard coolly converted the extra point, giving UNICS the lead and a remarkable win.

With the loss, Zenit's 10-game winning streak comes to an end, dating back to March 31, while UNICS remains perfect in the postseason.

Star Player
Quino Colom. The point guard picked up the Sixth Man of the Year award prior to the game and proved that he deserved it, going off for 26 points, six rebounds, seven assists, two steals and the game-winning layup and foul in the final seconds.

Stat of the Game
18 points - Zenit's largest lead of the game.

Snapshot