Broekhoff's defense sets the tone for Lokomotiv in Euroleague quarterfinals
Through the first two games of action, Ryan Broekhoff's defense was on display as he helped Lokomotiv Kuban earn their first victory ever in the Euroleague playoffs.
Game one of the Euroleague playoffs came to a start as Lokomotiv Kuban took on FC Barcelona Lassa. Starting the first half of play the Spanish side came out taking the lead early, going up 19-17. Yet Lokomotiv fought back continuing to make a close game of it, however they had trouble making baskets consistently which allowed the Spanish club to go into the main break up 33-27.
In the second half Lokomotiv started to play with more energy on the defensive end of the floor. Their shutdown defense helped them outscore Barcelona 39-28 through the final two quarters of action, which in turn allowed the Russian side to come out as victors 66-61 and earning their first win in the Euroleague playoffs.
Ryan Broekhoff hounded the opposition all game, continuously closing out on Barcelona’s shooters, forcing them to take tough contested jumpers. He finished the night with 8 points on 3/8 shooting from the field to go with 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal in 29 minutes of action.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBe8uGsoKzw
Lokomotiv Kuban looked to secure their second win in the quarterfinal series. To start the game, both teams traded leads with Barcelona taking the slight edge (24-19). However in the second quarter Barcelona started to widen the margin thanks to their hot shooting from behind the arc. They hit 7/12 shots from three-point land, allowing them to go into halftime up 48-31.
In the second half of play, Barcelona continued scoring at will; Lokomotiv Kuban's soft perimeter defense got exposed all game as they allowed the Spaniards to shoot 16/26 (61.5%) from behind the arc. In turn, Barcelona came out with the win, with the final score 92-66.
Ryan Broekhoff’s defense was excellent as he held Alex Abrines to 3/7 shooting from the field. Although he didn’t make a three-pointer for the second game in a row, Broekhoff is finding other ways to contribute, finishing the night with 2 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in only 18 minutes of action. With the loss, the series now sits tied at one game a piece.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DRiBDqsnwI