Saratov and Moscow will host 2 regular season games on Saturday.
Avtodor (Saratov, Russia) vs MINSK (Minsk, Belarus)
Time: 16:00 (15:00 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Saratov, DS Kristall
Broadcast: League website
Avtodor: The Saratov team suffered the 5th straight loss in Kazan, dropping to 11th place in the standings. Milenko Bogicevic team has lost all 5 of those games due to fourth quarter comebacks. The game with MINSK will be a good opportunity for the team to solve the problem of instability in the second half and regain confidence before the second stage. Rayshawn Hammonds is capable of providing an advantage in the paint. The American bigman is averaging 16.6 points per game, while MINSK centers Aleksander Zecevic and Vadzim Stubeda are averaging 15.2 points combined.
MINSK: The team failed to get the first win of the season against PARMA, but had a good three-point percentage (35.2%). Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson scored 23 points, but his teammates couldn’t support the leader – no one else on the Belarusian team managed to score 10+ points. Therefore, the Belarusian team needs to increase its offensive options and find a way to stop Rayshawn Hammonds, who scored 29 points in the teams’ first game this season. If MINSK manages to accomplish it and continues to make long-range shots, there will be a chance of winning this game.
Runa (Moscow) vs Lokomotiv Kuban (Krasnodar)
Time: 17:00 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Moscow, DS Dynamo
Broadcast: Match! Igra, TV Start, League website
Runa: The Moscow team continues to play without a clear offensive leader. In their win against Astana, 4 players managed to score 10+ points, and Nikola Ivanovic was the highest scorer with 14 points. Erturul Erdogan team relies on power play in the paint – Alex Tyus is in the Top-3 in blocks (1.4), and Ilia Popov is making 59% of two-point shots. The Vikings’ bigmen will have a lot of responsibility for the team’s success, as their defensive effort will be the deciding factor in the game.
Lokomotiv Kuban: The Krasnodar team climbed to the 3rd place of the standings and was strengthened by Maurice Ndour. The Senegalese center became the League’s Defensive player of the Year in 2019, so his signing can take Loko’s defense to a new level. The Krasnodar team is in the Top 2 in rebounding and has already managed to beat the Moscow team in the first round (96:76). Therefore, Aleksander Sekulic team has every chance to finish the first stage with a win.
