Krasnodar «Lokomotiv-Kuban» sensationally knocked out in the semifinals VTB United League 10-time champions from CSKA Moscow, defeating them in the decisive, seventh match of the series with a score of 103:100. Sports explains why this series turned out to be as good as the NBA playoffs and what this defeat could mean for CSKA.
For once, Russian basketball began to truly resemble the NBA — if not a game, then at least a detective denouement. And not just the NBA, but its best run of the current playoffs so far between the defending champions, the recognized geniuses of the main franchise of our time, the Golden State, and the daring youngsters from Sacramento, who broke into the relegation matches after a 16-year hiatus.
It would seem that the former are too old for exploits, while the latter, on the contrary, are too young and inexperienced, but only they gave the fans a seven-match sweatshop in the first round. And the end of the series was put by the leader of the Warriors, Stephen Curry, at the age of 35, scored a record 50 points in the decisive match with exorbitant throwing efficiency.
The next day, the VTB United League entered the game. And it seems that it should fade against the backdrop of overseas stars, but then the youth from Lokomotiv-Kuban makes the main team of the league, the champions in the number of championships CSKA Moscow in the same seven matches. The railroad workers did the seemingly impossible, winning the race of nerves against more mature, experienced and high-class opponents. Moreover, unlike overseas stars, Krasnodar did it in the semi-finals.
Even brighter than in the NBA, the denouement hides a few more non-obvious parallels. For example, the sixth match for those that for others promised a completely different outcome — with the only difference being that if champions suffered in America, then in Russia their opponents suffered. CSKA crushed Lokomotiv at their home: shot with open throws from behind the arc (10 out of 23 for Muscovites versus 10 out of 30 for Krasnodar), trampled in the “paint” and did not give up rebounds on his shield. While “Lokomotiv” stubbornly passed under the basket, and when it ran into the wall, it threw awkward, unreasonably difficult averages, CSKA played to the right and amazed with the ability to convert any opponent's mistake into an exact hit. That match ended with a score of 98:75 in favor of the Muscovites — and if in the same NBA such a difference in the score is considered the norm, then in Europe after such abuse, as they say, it is customary to get married.
The sixth game did not leave objective grounds for doubt in CSKA — they are more talented, more focused and more efficient. And behind them are two of the best players in the series — the current league MVP center Nikola Milutinov and Alexei Shved, not so long ago perhaps the most formidable scorer in the Euroleague. Already after the seventh match, the head coach of the army team, Emil Raikovich, with a sad face, explained to journalists that it was in their injuries that the reason for the failure of the Muscovites lay. Milutinov during the playoffs flew out with an ankle, Shved — with a hip.
Both returned in the series with Lokomotiv, but each in his own role. Without Swede, CSKA's attack would have simply stopped, and with the departure of almost all the leading foreign players from the VTB League, there was no one to replace him, so his place in the starting five was not discussed. Milutinov started from the bench — and seven matches of the semi-finals were clearly not enough for him to get into the rhythm properly.
Without a connection with Milutinov (healthy, which is important), the already not fantastic efficiency of the Swede shrank even more — and the thigh certainly made itself felt. Yes, he was still the most high-profile player in the series, and at this stage it becomes a key factor. But what if this player is running on one leg? In the end, Raikovich did not find an answer to this question — and at the decisive moment his team was overcome. The Swede ran almost 38 minutes, including the only overtime, but behind the beautiful numbers (22 points + 13 assists) he could not hide either weak shooting performance (8 of 19 from the field) or the usual lack of defense.
Unlike Lokomotiv, CSKA has not been able to solve the problem of staff replacement. While the rest of the league teams learned to trust the youth and show the miracles of selection, catching a few talented Europeans who are ready to go to Russia, the army team kept Milutinov until the end of the contract, but did nothing with the depth of the squad. Lokomotiv Kuban don't have incredible talent, and their team defense is far from ideal, but the system, albeit rather average, turned out to be working within a separate series. No matter how this season ends for Krasnodar, you should not consider it as the end point of development. They have yet to become an extra-class team, but such an important series and reaching the final should help them build a winning culture.
And CSKA, with chaos and instability on the club's 100th anniversary, was left without the VTB United League final for the first time in history . And there is a feeling that if the club's management does not learn to complete the squad in the shortest possible time, relying not only on financial superiority over other clubs, such results may become traditional.