Two regular-season games will take place on Sunday:
Samara (Samara Region) vs. Dynamo (Vladivostok)
Time: 5:00 p.m. (4:00 p.m. Moscow Time)
Venue: Russia, Samara, SKK “Sports Palace”
Broadcast: Kinopoisk
Samara was unable to start the season with a win. Although Miloš Pavičević’s team held the lead for much of their opening match in Saratov, the Volga-based side still has a second chance ahead of them, and their chances of success in the upcoming match are quite high. During the offseason, the “City Team” faced Dynamo in a friendly match. Although they lost, the Samara team figured out how to break down their opponent’s defense during the game. Now they’ll try to make the most of those insights in their official matchup against the Primorian team.
Dynamo also started the season with a loss. But the match in Kazan showcased the team’s strong offensive potential. And it is precisely the offense that the visitors will be counting on in this match. The White-and-Blues will almost certainly try to drag Samara into an open shootout, where defense will take a back seat. And in a game like this, it all comes down to the individual players. Jalen Blackmon, Isaiah Crowley, and Daquan Smith—three American imports capable of single-handedly deciding the outcome of the game. If even one of them finds his rhythm, Dynamo will have an excellent chance at their first victory in the VTB League.
Samara Head Coach Miloš Pavičević: “After the game in Saratov, we had a good week of practice. We’re in great spirits heading into our first home game. We invite our fans to come out and watch. We really want to delight them with an exciting performance and a victory! Dynamo plays aggressive and entertaining basketball. Newman’s absence has affected their offense. He’s a very strong player. But Nate Pollard has joined the roster—adding another big man to the rotation. We’re in for a good game.”
Dynamo Head Coach Sergey Kozin: “We’re wrapping up our long road trip with a game against Samara. They’re a very tenacious and dangerous team with plenty of good shooters on their roster.
We remember our preseason game against Samara very well: at one point we had a comfortable lead, but we let our opponent make a few easy long-range shots and get back into the game. In the end, it all came down to the final seconds.
That’s why it’s important for us to stay as focused as possible for all 40 minutes, especially on defense, and keep Samara’s sharpshooters in check.
UNICS (Kazan) – Zenit (St. Petersburg)
Time: 6:00 p.m. (6:00 p.m. Moscow Time)
Venue: Russia, Kazan, “Basket-Hall”
Broadcast: Kinopoisk
UNICS will wrap up its home stand with a matchup against its archrival, St. Petersburg’s Zenit. The season hasn’t started off on the right foot for the hosts. The loss to Parma was a blow to their pride. A win over the rookie team Dynamo is to be expected—but it’s nothing to be proud of. For the demanding Kazan fans, who are accustomed to success, a more convincing result is needed. And they might get just that on Sunday. A victory over Zenit would be excellent proof of the Volga team’s championship aspirations.
Zenit: The season has already begun, but the visitors are still in the midst of a rebuild. Malik Newman joined the team this week. Chris Ledlum, who signed earlier, has also arrived in St. Petersburg. Therefore, it’s difficult to predict right now which version of Zenit we’ll see on the court in Kazan. But this matchup will almost certainly be a clash of two different philosophies. At the start of the season, UNICS has been playing high-scoring, attacking basketball (averaging 102.5 points per game), while Dusko Ivanović’s team secured its first victory thanks to superb, aggressive defense.
Zenit Head Coach Duško Ivanović: “UNICS is one of the strongest teams in the VTB United League. Compared to last season, they’ve added some high-caliber players. They won their last game convincingly by a wide margin, which speaks to the strength of their players across all positions. We’re here, of course, to win. I hope we’ll play our game—the way we’ve been preparing.”
