Minsk and Yekaterinburg will host regular season games on Monday.
MINSK (Minsk, Belarus) vs CSKA (Moscow, Russia)
Time: 15:00 (Moscow time)
Place: Belarus, Minsk, Minsk Arena
Broadcast: Match! Igra, Start, League website.
MINSK: The Belarusian team has 18 consecutive losses. MINSK fought with UNICS on the road, but the reigning champion showed outstanding performance, setting the season best scoring game (101 points) and controlling the game after the first half. However, 81 points can’t help but cause optimism – the last time the Belarusian team reached 80+ points in regulation time a month ago against Lokomotiv Kuban. The last game in 2023 will be an experience, test and challenge.
CSKA: After the loss to PARMA, the Army team is no longer the best in the League in +/-. However, it’s too early to talk about a downward trend. PARMA is the hottest team in the regular season with 6 straight wins. However, the Moscow team is going to be really motivated. Although the top seed is still in no danger, UNICS is only 2 wins behind, so it’s too early to relax. The game with MINSK will start a 3-game road trip (with a break for the New Year’s break), and trips to Samara and Krasnodar to face Loko won’t be a easy for CSKA.
Uralmash (Yekaterinburg) vs PARMA (Perm)
Time: 19:15 (17:15 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Yekaterinburg, GAUSO “Dvorets Igrovykh Vidov Sporta”
Broadcast: Match! Igra, TV Start, League website
Uralmash: The Yekaterinburg team has 1 win in their last 5 games. Uralmash was unlucky with the schedule. New head coach Rostislav Vergun had to face Lokomotiv Kuban and UNICS. While the Kazan team let Octavius Ellis to play, the Krasnodar team played tight defense. Vergun will have to figure out how to use players. And Uralmash doesn’t have much time to change – in the last game of the year, the team will face PARMA, who recently defeated CSKA.
PARMA: Evgeny Pashutin team has undergone a dramatic transformation over the season. A poor start didn’t break the Perm team, but only added motivation. PARMA was tested by CSKA and Lokomotiv Kuban in December, but it has yet to prove itself against Uralmash, then Zenit and UNICS in the first half of January. Pashutin goal is to finish in the Top 6, but PARMA has every chance to improve. The team is 1 win away from 5th place in the standings, but Enisey (11-8) has one more game in reserve.
