Yekaterinburg and Samara will host 2 regular season games on Sunday.
Uralmash (Yekaterinburg) vs MINSK (Minsk)
Time: 17:00 (15:00 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Yekaterinburg, DIVS.
Broadcast: Start Triumph, League website
Uralmash: Over the past month, the Yekaterinburg team has changed head coach and lost to Zenit, UNICS and Loko, dropped to the 8th place in the standings. But in the last game of 2023, Uralmash was able to stop PARMA and soon were strengthened by Stanley Whittaker. Therefore, the newcomer is ready to continue the fight for the Playoffs spot with Rostislav Vergun, who previously led MINSK. In the upcoming game the Belarusian specialist will have to play against his former team, whose system he has been building for 3 months. This gives Uralmash a tactical advantage and a chance to start the new year successfully.
MINSK: The Belarussian team still has no wins this season. After Rostislav Vergun departure, the team has improved in offense – MINSK twice ended the game with more than 80 points. Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson is scoring 19 points per game and is among the Top-4 scorers in the League. MINSK has problems in the paint and defense – the team ranks second to last in rebounds and last in steals. MINSK will win in Yekaterinburg only if the defense can stop Octavius Ellis. But the Belarusian team will have an extra motivation factor in the game against the former head coach.
Samara (Samara) vs CSKA (Moscow)
Time: 18:00 (17:00 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Samara, SKK Dvorets Sporta.
Broadcast: Match! Strana, Start Triumph, League website
Samara: Drazen Anzulovic team share 6th place with PARMA with the same balance (10-9). The Volga team has won 3 of their last 4 games due to good offense – the team is in the Top 3 in field goal percentage. Samara also ranks 3rd in the league in three-pointer percentage. It won’t be easy to win against the League leader, but Samara has already beat UNICS at home this season and has a good chance to upset CSKA.
CSKA: Despite a sensational loss in Perm, CSKA is firmly at the top of the standings with 17 wins and 2 losses. Emil Rajkovic team tops the rankings in scoring and assists per game. The Mocsow team ended 2023 with a confident road win over MINSK and continue the 4-game road trip. Game against Samara could help CSKA get back on the winning streak and get in shape before the game against Loko.
