8-0 finish gives Lokomotiv first-ever playoffs win
In a battle that went down to the final seconds, Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar recorded its first-ever Turkish Airlines Euroleague playoffs win by edging FC Barcelona Lassa 66-61 at home in Game 1 of their best-of-five series on Wednesday. Lokomotiv has a 1-0 lead in the series and hosts Game 2 on Friday. Anthony Randolph led the winners with 17 points and 10 rebounds and Malcolm Delaney added 11 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists for Lokomotiv. Justin Doellman and Pau Ribas led Barcelona with 13 points apiece and Alex Abrines added 10 for the guests. Doellman had 7 early points to give Barcelona a 3-8 lead. A three-pointer by Delaney capped a 7-0 Lokomotiv run and gave the hosts a 10-8 edge. Ribas and Tomas Satoransky stepped up for the visitors, allowing their team to regain a 17-19 advantage after 10 minutes. A driving layup by Stratos Perperoglou boosted his team's lead to 19-28 midway through the second quarter. Victor Claver and Ryan Broekhoff kept the hosts within 27-33 at halftime. Barcelona led most of the way in the third quarter, but a three-pointer by Matt Janning got the hosts within 1 late in the quarter. A layup by Abrines gave Barcelona a 58-61 lead with four minutes left, but Barcelona was held scoreless in crunch time, while, Chris Singleton, Delaney and Dontaye Draper fueled a final 8-0 push, which Ryan Broekhoff capped with a dunk to give Lokomotiv the lead in the series.
First quarter: Doellman helps visitors start strong
Doellman got Barcelona going with a five-meter jumper and soon added a three-pointer for a 0-5 lead. Lokomotiv was held scoreless for more than two minutes until Randolph stepped up with a layup-plus-foul. Doellman kept pushing Barcelona with a mid-range jumper and a free throw by Joey Dorsey boosted his team's lead to 3-8. Delaney fed Claver for an uncontested dunk and Randolph swished a five-meter jumper to bring Lokomotiv within 7-8. Delaney buried a three-pointer in transition to cap a 7-0 Lokomotiv run. Doellman stepped up with a fast break slam to even the score at 10-10. Abrines took over with a jump hook and Satoransky followed that with a coast-to-coast layup that gave Barcelona some fresh air. Randolph and Sergey Bykov made free throws, but Ribas improved on them with a three-pointer and a one-handed floater. A three-point play by Chris Singleton made it 17-19 after 10 minutes.
Second quarter: Barcelona improves defense, extends lead
Ante Tomic beat the shot clock with a fall-away jumper early in the quarter and Samardo Samuels added a power layup that made it a 6-point game. Lokomotiv kept missing open three-point shots, so Broekhoff tried to change things with a dunk in transition. Tomic hit a jump hook off a high post pick and a free throw by Samuels boosted the guests' lead to 19-26. Perperoglou took over with a wild driving layup, as Lokomotic kept struggling to find the way to the basket. The hosts improved their ball circulation with Delaney back on the floor. Claver stepped up with his trademark corner three-pointer and Matt Janning added free throws to bring Lokomotiv within 24-28. Carlos Arroyo and Draper exchanged three-pointers and a reverse layup by Doellman gave Barcelona a 27-33 margin as both teams headed back to the locker rooms.
Third quarter: Randolph keeps Lokomotiv in the game
Broekhoff made free throws immediately after the break, but Juan Carlos Navarro found Tomic for a layup and a 29-35 Barcelona lead. Randolph nailed a five-meter jumper and hit foul shots to tie the game at 35-35. Barcelona struggled to find good options on offense, as Lokomotiv's defense forced the guests to take late, off-balance shots. Abrines rescued Barcelona with a three-pointer and Doellman added a fast break layup for a 5-point edge. After Navarro buried a six-meter jumper, Randolph and Abrines exchanged three-pointers. A jumper by Delaney brought Lokomotiv within 40-45. Tomic hit a jump hook that Claver matched with a backdoor layup. Ribas hit a jumper, but Delaney singlehandedly brought the hosts as close within 3. After Randolph split foul shots, Ribas’s free throws kept Barcelona ahead. Janning nailed a three-pointer, but a buzzer-beating jumper by Sasha Vezenkov fixed the score at 50-53.
Fourth quarter: Drama infused till the final minute
Singleton sank a mid-range jumper early in the quarter and a put-back basket by Broekhoff completed the hosts' comeback at 54-53. Samuels stepped up with an off-balance basket, which Singleton matched with a turnaround jumper. Ribas found space for an uncontested driving layup that put his team back in charge, 56-57, with six minutes to go. Lokomotiv called timeout, but Ribas kept pushing Barcelona with a mid-range jumper. Draper shined with a six-meter jumper off the dribble that Abrines erased with a driving layup for a 58-61 Barcelona lead. Singleton scored around the basket and Draper sank a mid-range jumper off the dribble, after which Barcelona called timeout with 1:34 left. Ribas stepped out of bounds and Doellman missed down low, before a layup by Delaney gave his team a 64-61 lead. Abrines missed from downtown and a dunk by Broekhoff sealed Lokomotiv's first-ever Euroleague playoffs win in style!

Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Euroleague.net