ANNOUNCEMENT OF 4TH ROUND GAMES

The games of 4th Group Round of VTB United League will be held on 5th and 6th December.

«Azovmash» - «Kalev». December 5th, Mariupol. Local time: 14.00
The 2nd Round of the group tournament will be open in Mariupol with the game between the Champions of Ukraine and Estonia. First game between these two teams in Tallinn finished with the clear victory of «Azovmash» that won «Kalev» by 39 points! But to tell the truth this success remains the only one for Ukrainians at the moment – in the next 2 games against CSKA and «Zalgiris» they were enforced to lay down arms. But the team in the care of Nenad Vucinic also didn’t give much joy to its fans in the first round, and it’ll be quite hard for them to hope for the successful return match in the forthcoming game. All the more the home team with the new Head Coach Andrey Podkovyrov (late November he substituted Lithuanian specialist Rimas Girskis, who retired after a number of lost games) is eager to interfere into the sharing of places to «Final Four».

«Khimki» - «Donetsk». December 5th, Khimki. Local time: 18.00
The main sensation-maker of the first Round BC «Donetsk» will try to prove that the home victory over «Khimki» was not a just a simple lucky chance. But to make it another time will be extremely hard – Kelly McCarty and Co have gained great condition, showing it in the National Championship and in Euroleague. Besides, the team from Moscow Region for sure hasn’t forgotten the deep offense that it faced in Donetsk, and international troop of Sergio Scariolo burns with the desire to take revenge. The game in Khimki will be crucial in the competition between 2 clubs for the second spot in «Final Four» from Group A (the first spot is practically guaranteed by UNICS from Kazan). And that’s the reason why this competition can turn into real battle. There is no doubt that Ukrainian basketball players will make all possible efforts in order to surprise all the specialists again. And also to rehabilitate themselves in the eyes of their fans for the last offensive defeats from «Ferro ZNTU» in the Championship of Ukraine and Russian «Enisey» in Challenge Cup.

UINICS - VEF. December 5th, Kazan. Local time: 18.00
eader against outsider. To predict the result of this game is easy at the first glance. UNICS in spite of unstability that it shows in last games with the change of defeats in Russian Championship from «Khimki» and «Triumph» and magnificent victories over Turkish «Besiktas» and «Joventut» in Eurocup, will definitely not stumble in the home «Basket Hall». Especially taking into account the fact that during this season guard of Valdemaras Homicius lost only once – in the game against CSKA. In other words in order to win the first time in the League Latvian VEF will have to jump over its head this Saturday.

«Zalgiris» - CSKA. December 6th, Kaunas. Local time: 18.00
The battle between two most famous clubs of the former USSR will crown the program of the 4th Round. Real fever is expected around the game in Kaunas – no one can even doubt that local «Sporthalle» will be overcrowded this day. Fans can easily become the 6th player of «Zalgiris», making the players of their team play only for victory that is by the way necessary to them to have an early spot in «Final Four». But with all “for” of Lithuanians including the recent victory of Gintaras Krapikas’s team over their principle rival «Lietuvos Rytas» in the National Championship, they have got one big «against». It’s a very convincing performance of CSKA in recent games. Squad of Evgeny Pashutin started the season not perfectly, but now the team has restored its former strength. The brightest confirmation is great victories of Red Army players in Euroleague over a strong Spanish «Caja Laboral» and Greek «Maroussi» At the same time the club from Kaunas can’t win for 1,5 months in the main European Cup… But the games of CSKA and «Zalgiris» according to the richest history of these teams’ confrontation are always interesting and unpredictable. Hardly somebody can be surprised if after the game on Sunday overcrowded «Sporthalle» will start triumphal dancing.