Couldn’t stop «Lokomotiv» 

Holding off the rivals

«Astana» has had no trouble with strong starts this season, something that has become clear in the 2024/2025 games. From the first minutes, the team plays confidently, even against serious opponents. Krasnodar’s «Lokomotiv» was no exception, as «Astana» led 14:5 halfway through the first quarter. Vadim Shcherbak and Daniel Utomi set a pace in the attack. «Lokomotiv» only began to find their footing in the second half of the quarter with a 6-0 run, spurred by the substitution of guard Mikhail Vedischev, who pressured point guard Magzhan Sarsengaliyev. The quarter ended with «Astana» leading 15:13.

Struggled against Ishchenko

The second quarter kicked off with the same intensity. Daniel Utomi, the 27-year-old forward, was excellent on open shots and scored easy points whenever he had the chance.  Alexander Orazbekov also stepped up on offense, with his swift drives to the basket and 12 assists proving invaluable. Midway through the quarter, «Astana» held a 22:13 lead. However, the game took a turn, largely driven by the defensive efforts of Vsevolod Ishchenko. His steals enabled «Lokomotiv» to have a powerful comeback in the second quarter, taking the lead and maintaining control. The scoreboard read 28:45.

A Few three-pointers…

…from Danila Pokhodaev and five points from Vadim Shcherbak at the start of the third quarter helped «Astana» stay in the game. This quarter had many exciting moments, including an impressive behind-the-back pass from Orazbekov to Smith—a highlight-worthy play for the VTB United League. Midway through the quarter, «Astana» managed to cut the deficit to 12 points, but as their energy faded towards the end, «Lokomotiv» pulled away once more. The score before the final quarter stood at 47:65.

The final note…

…unfortunately, was not in our team’s favour. «Astana» tried to organise offense, aided by accurate free throws, three-pointers from Daniel Utomi, and slam dunks from Galin Smith, but it wasn’t enough to stage a comeback. «Lokomotiv» ultimately secured the victory with a score of 59:93.

Game summary

«Astana» — «Lokomotiv-Kuban» 59:93 (15:13, 13:32, 19:20, 12:28)
«Astana»: Daniel Utomi (15 points, 5 rebounds), Vadim Shcherbak (12 points), Alexander Orazbekov (7 points, 12 assists)
«Lokomotiv-Kuban»: Vsevolod Ishchenko (15 points, 6 steals), Patrick Miller (12 points), Dmitry Uzinsky (11 points, 6 rebounds)

Comments

Gleb Plotnikov, Acting Head Coach of «Astana»: “We started well, and the third quarter was decent, too. However, we couldn’t keep up with the intensity they brought in the second and fourth quarters. Plus, you can’t win games with 26 turnovers. We have no choice but to keep working and improving. We’re waiting for Motovilov, and I hope he can help us soon. He’s still in recovery, but we’re counting on him.”

Magzhan Sarsengaliyev, Guard for «Astana»: “Of course, I’m disappointed we lost. Unfortunately, we made too many turnovers (26), but we’ll work on fixing these mistakes. The level of play in the VTB United League is very different from the Kazakhstan national championship—the pace is much faster.”

Andrey Vedischev, Head Coach of «Lokomotiv-Kuban»: “I’m pleased with the win. It was tough after three consecutive losses, so it was important for us to secure a victory today. We didn’t start the game well, but we played more as a team and intelligently as the game progressed, leading us to the win.”