Khimki defeated Zenit at home in Game 3 of the playoff semifinals, 97-73 (30-21, 26-25, 24-12, 17-15).
The first half had a lot of similarities to Games 1 and 2. Khimki take the lead. Zenit struggled to get going (4-15 from beyond the arc, 10 turnovers), but only trailed by five points with 1:16 remaining in the 2nd quarter. 56-46 at halftime.
Then together with Marko Todorovic and E.J. Rowland, Alexey Shved guided Moscow Region to victory in a must-win Game 3. Khimki completely controlled the tempo, scoring on fast breaks, set plays and at the free-throw line, while neutralizing the Blue-White-Sky Blues’ offense. Moscow Region enjoyed a 24-12 edge in the 3rd quarter to lead by 22 points and cruised in the 4th quarter behind an all-Russian lineup.
E.J. Rowland scored 17 points, Serhgey Karasev in Zenit – 14.
