On May 12, CSKA Moscow suffered a hard-fought 88:97 overtime defeat to Lokomotiv-Kuban in the first game of the VTB United League semifinal series. The match, held in Moscow, saw the visitors from Krasnodar dominate the extra period, outscoring CSKA 14-5 to secure the win.
The game was tightly contested through regulation, with both teams trading leads. CSKA’s Antonius Cleveland led the charge with 14 points, one rebound, and three steals for an efficiency rating of +11. However, Lokomotiv’s Qatari center Alen Hadžibegović shined with a game-high 20 points, while Russian guard Vsevolod Ishchenko added 19 points.
Other key contributors for CSKA included Jean-Charles (15 points), Ruzhentsev (13), Kurbanov (12), and Trimble (11). For Lokomotiv, Miller (17), Martin (13), Hunter (13), and Moore (11) provided solid support.
The series continues on May 14, with CSKA looking to even the score on their home court. The winner of this best-of-seven semifinal will advance to the VTB United League Finals.
