ANNOUNCEMENT OF 3RD ROUND GAMES

18 and 19 of November the games of 3rd round games of VTB United Basketball League are to be held.

UNICS – «Khimki». 18th November, Kazan. Local time: 19.00
In Kazan «Basket hall» the main pretenders to qualify for Final Four will face each other in the center game of the round – local UNICS and Moscow region «Khimki». History of these teams’ games for past three years is limited with national championship and equal number of wins 5:5. Talking about opponents games in Kazan the minimum majority is for hosts. However, a very interested fact is that for two years in a row «Khimki» was leaving Kazan with victories… Valdemaras Homicius’s and Sergio Scariolo’s players are ready to play with absolutely opposite mood. Kazan lost to CSKA and it is the first lost in the walls of «Basket Hall» in this season; Khimki vice versa during past week took number of important victories – over «Dynamo» and «Triumph» within frames of Russian Superleague and over «Milan» (in Euroleague). It is hard to predict who will be stronger this time – UNICS cannot let the second game in a row to be lost at home especially before start of Eurocup. For «Khimki», taking into account their nowadays classification position the victory is very important.
 
VEF – «Donetsk». 18th November, Riga. Local time: 19.30
Riga’s VEF after painful lost in second round from «Khimki» made the aim to qualify for «Final Four» even more complicated. Too much luck will need them in the left games to archive this… Though Valdis Valters and his team will hardly surrender without fight and are able to play a role of “killer” for some pretenders for two first places. In forthcoming game against BC «Donetsk» this will be easy to make. It is due to that opponent has not been playing for 11 days already. Moreover it is not obvious if Ukrainians could rehabilitated after such painful lost from UNICS in the 2nd round of VTB United League and Spanish «Bilbao» in Eurocup. The future of Donetsk in the tournament depend on how motivated the players will be in this game.
 
«Zalgiris» – «Azovmash». 18 th November, Kaunas. Local time: 19.00
During confrontation of these team the second qualifier from Group B for «Final Four» will probably defined. Remind you that the first game between «Zalgiris» and «Azovmash» should have been hold in Mariupol, however, after recommendation of Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to its citizens to refrain from traveling to Ukraine due to epidemic of swine flu in this country Directorate of VTB United Basketball League took a decision to make changes in calendar by changing places of games for these teams in 3 rd and 6 th Rounds. Though such changes should not effect fighting mood of competitors. Yes, «Azovmash» and BC «Donetsk» have long break and coming back from the brake «Azovmash» lost to «Krivbasbaske» within frames of national championship. «Zalgiris» vice versa continues its winning series in national championship and Baltic league and looks great in Euroleague. However, we should not hurry with prognosis. Remind you that in the last round «Azovmash» of Rimas Girskis gave fight to CSKA for 3 quarters…
 
«Kalev» – CSKA. 19th November, Tallinn. Local time: 18.45
With all respect to host team but their chances to win in this game are weak by specialists opinions. «Kalev» shall meet one of the strongest European clubs CSKA! No matter that red-blue don’t make its fans happy with great game – difference in classes is obvious. However, «Kalev» basketball players with local fans, it is expected a big number of them, will try to show its best. Fighting mood and motivation make miracles…