UNICS on fire: how Pashutin’s team builds up team spirit while saving things from fire in Basket Hall

Sauna unites

I just crossed the threshold of the service entrance to Basket Hall and felt a pungent burnt odour that resembles a smoking shed very much. Later the club's press attaché told that there was a fire in the sauna located in a changing room of UNICS. The sauna burnt so much that they had to relocate the changing rooms to other places. Evgeny Pashutin who just said goodbye to his players after the training told that that incident should not affect his guys' mood. On the contrary:

'I think this situation should unite the guys. When it happened, they were together. They carried all the stuff, were always together. It should have a positive impact on the game. The guys are ready to fight. We are in good physical shape,' told Pashutin journalists.

Nature abhors a vacuum

Meanwhile, the team was working on fast counterattacks with shots from outside the arc under Pashutin and Emanuel Molina. 'Just open,' the coach of UNICS helped in English. And Keith Langford and Joaquim Colom were good at shooting balls from a long distance. Despite their rivals' obstacles, it seemed they did not know how to fail a shot. But, no, not always they manage to shoot successfully during matches. In the last match, Coty Clarke helped to shoot with a rebound after Keith Langford's mistake. The result of this help is known. But it is not the worst thing that might happen. After the episode, it turned out that Clarke's cruciate ligament rupture was inevitable. That means saying bye to the season. However, Clarke got away with a micro rupture. According to doctors, his recovery would take 1,5-2 months.

As it is known, nature abhors a vacuum. Russian players Vadim Panin and Evgeny Voronov will get a chance in the most proximate games.

'Coty Clarke started finding his game and is showing himself in everything – rebounds, points, in defence,' says Pashutin to journalists. 'The team is strong because new players appear instead of the loss of one of the strongest players. Now we will give more time to Vadim Panin and Zhenya Voronov. They are good at playing in defence. Their task will be to stop James Anderson and William Clyburn, other players of Darüşşafaka in their positions. They need to show their aggression, they are able to do that.'

In answer to my request to ask a couple of questions, Keith Langford who stayed to have a rest after the training offered to take a seat. I just could not help but ask him about his injured compatriot Keith:

'Coty is a big loss. Coty was very important. It is difficult, but the team needs to step up. I think other guys are ready to play,' said the best forward of UNICS.

Ends are UNICS' Achilles heel

The Turkish guests headed by a respected more than any other Russian coach David Blatt had not arrived in Kazan. But the latest match of UNICS in Germany is still of concern of journalists and fans. Although judging by the atmosphere, the court of Basket Hall has a good mood, the pressure of two failed quarters at the beginning of Euroleague has an impact.

'What happened before is forgotten. The guys are fighters, professionals. As we are playing in this elite competition, we must be ready to show hard and contact basketball in all 30 games. We will do our best to impose a fight and play to win,' Evgeny Pashutin answered to these concerns.

'Two defeats won't affect our psychology. We are ready for the match. The game will show how ready we are for Darüşşafaka,' a central player of UNICS Artsiom Parakhouski puts in his two pennyworth after the training.

'What are the chances after the first two bad games?' two leading foreign players were asked a loaded question. Both Joaquim Colom and Keith Langford unanimously say bad ends are not the whole game:

'It is not two bad games, it is two bad fourth quarters. For sure, we have a good chance. We need to play in defence to finish the game,' Keith replies.

'It is not a bad game. We control all the game except the last 5 minutes. They are the best teams in Europe. So I think we have bad five minutes. I don't think we played bad. In Germany, it was really difficult. Yes, we lost two games in a row. But a long season is ahead. Our options are fifty-fifty.'

David Blatt's team – what's that?

The champion and finalist of the Turkish Cup that became famous after the club was headed by David Blatt who failed to show what he was able to do at Cleveland. Conflicts with the main stars of the team made the first non-American specialist of an NBA club leave the overseas league and return to European basketball and offer Ainars Bagatskis to be his assistant, who is familiar for Russian fans.

'Darüşşafaka has a very good team. Its coach is well known a person. David Blatt worked in the national team of Russia, NBA, Maccabi from Tel-Aviv. He is a very smart, crafty coach. His team has a long bench, many attacking players. He likes playing when his players expand the defence by shots. We are expecting a great number of long shots, good dribbling by William Clyburn. They play a fast basketball. Our task is to return to the defence as soon as possible. We must impose a fight, play a defensive and contact basketball when we defend well and there is mutual help,' says Evgeny Pashutin. (Photo: slamdunk.ru)

'Did you exam the game of the Turks? In your opinion, who is the strongest player? Or is Blatt the main star at Darüşşafaka?' I asked the central player of UNICS Parakhouski.

'Yes, they have a good team. There are many serious individual players. In other words, they can rule the game. But we are preparing and know how to play against them. We already played with them in pre-season matches in Turkey. Yes, we lost. But it is not the indicator. This is why we are watching many videos. We have polished some nuances now. We will see everything on the court,' the central player of UNICS is sure.

Well, let's wait and see. UNICS and Darüşşafaka were to meet yesterday at 7 p.m.