We are taking a devastating revenge from Samara!

Main team news

24.12.2023

UNICS did not leave a single chance for Samara on the home court, defeating the team of the same name with a score of 81:61, winning its 5th victory in a row and securing 2nd place in the VTB United League table. The key segment of the match was the 2nd quarter, which Kazan won 23:6 and ran away to a distance of «+21» by the big break (48:27).

During the final period, our guys increased their lead to a maximum of «+32». The key factor in the victory of Velimir PERASOVIC's team was aggressive defense, which provoked 17 losses from the guests and tightly blocked the perimeter – Samara realized only one three-point shot from 17 long-range attempts in 40 minutes (6%).

Erick GREEN became the most productive member of the Kazan team, scoring 20 points and adding 4 assists and 3 rebounds. Neno DIMITRIJEVIC has 19 points, 7 assists, 3 steals and 2 rebounds. Louis LABEYRIE brought the team 13 more points and 4 rebounds.

UNICS (Kazan) – BC Samara (Samara) – 81:61 (25:21, 23:6, 19:12, 14:25).
UNICS: Green (20+3 rebounds+4 assists), Dimitrijevic (19+7 assists+3 steals), Labeyrie (13+4 rebounds).
Samara: Thompson (21+6 rebounds), Roberson (14+6 assists).

POST-MATCH COMMENTS:

Velimir PERASOVICH, BC UNICS head coach:

«Congratulations to my players. They played one of the best defensive games of the season, especially in the first three quarters, removing all questions about the winner. We acted with concentration and energy – this was the key to our victory. Today we faced a strong team that seriously claims to be in the top 6 and demonstrates excellent basketball. I think we can make even more progress and play even better in the future».

Erick GREEN, BC UNICS guard:

«Great game. I think we defended well as a team today. It was especially important for us to win on such a crucial day for the club – in honor of the 25th anniversary of Evgeny Bogachev's tenure as president of UNICS. Each of us tried and showed our best game».

Dmitry KULAGIN, BC UNICS guard:

«Today we have won an important victory. It was an unusual day for us, we can say a holiday. It has been 25 years since Evgeny Borisovich Bogachev became the head of UNICS. We were preparing for this event. I would like to note that the team from Samara is famous for its fast game. Previously, we lost to them twice – during pre-season and in the first round. Therefore, we were preparing for the upcoming match with special seriousness.

We took apart the opponent well and managed to stop their rebound in attack. I think the final difference of 20 points does not reflect the real balance of power. For three quarters we dominated and made almost no mistakes. Besides, today we played with a wide rotation. I thank our fans who came to support us. We play for you!»

Drazen ANZULOVIC, BC Samara head coach:

«First of all, I congratulate UNICS on the victory. They looked much better than us as a team. Especially in the first two quarters, when they managed to create a big difference in the score, and we didn't react properly. We didn't defend ourselves the way we planned. Most of our foreign players did not show the level of play that we expect from them and that they need to demonstrate in the match against the reigning champion. When you play like that, you can't expect anything more».