Top Scorers
Khimki: Alexey Shved (32 + 7 ast), Tyler Honeycutt (11 + 7 reb), Malcolm Thomas (10 + 6 reb)

Lokomotiv-Kuban: Dmitry Kulagin (19), Dmitry Khvostov (13), Chris Babb (12)

Story
Khimki put 3rd-seeded Lokomotiv-Kuban on the brink of elimination, securing a narrow 77-72 win at home in Game 2 behind 32 points from superstar guard Alexey Shved.

The visitors dealt the first blow, racing to an eight-point lead in the 1st quarter. But Moscow Region never panicked, slowly chipping away behind Shved’s steady leadership and much improved defense.

The game was tied up, 55-55, entering the 4th quarter. Loko guard Dmitry Kulagin tried to keep the visitors close, scoring a pair of a free throws and a 3-pointer in the opening minutes, but a 6-0 run from Khimki gave the home team a cushion with five minutes remaining, one they would not relinquish.

Trailing by six, 75-69, after Tyler Honeycutt scored on a layup, Chris Babb gave Krasnodar one final chance by drilling a triple with less than 40 seconds on the clock.

But on the next possession, Malcolm Thomas pushed the lead back to five, 77-72, set up for the basket by Shved. At the other end, Kulagin and Collins both missed 3-pointers, and Thomas sealed the win with a defensive rebound.

Krasnodar could be eliminated on Monday night in Khimki. The Yellow-Blues can put the series away in front of the home fans and avoid returning to Krasnodar for Game 4 and a possible Game 5.

Stat
82 – combined number of points scored by Russian players (Khimki – 45, Loko – 37).


He will attend Game 2 between @Khimkibasket and @lokobasket. #NBA #Pelicans #NewOrleans

4:25 PM — May 26, 2018
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Game 3
Monday, May 28 at 7:00 PM (7:00 MSK)