Krasnoyarsk, Saratov and Kazan will host 3 regular season games on Wednesday.
Enisey (Krasnoyarsk region) vs Astana (Astana)
Time: 19:30 (15:30 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Krasnoyarsk, Arena Sever
Broadcast: TV Start, League website
Enisey: Jovica Arsic team managed only 1 win in 5 games in December, so the last game of 2024 will be a chance for the team to end losing streak. In the first round clash, Enisey already managed to beat Astana. In the upcoming cgame, the Siberian team will be the hosts and this can become decisive.
Astana: At the end of 2024 the eam will have another chance to end losing streak. Astana future opponent is only 2 points ahead. Moreover, the team came closest to win this season exactly against Enisey, losing by only 6 points. The key aspect for Astana may again be rebounding. The guests frontcourt will have to cope in the paint with one of the best rebounding duos of the season (Sergey Dolinin – Aleksa Stepanovic).
Avtodor (Saratov) vs CSKA (Moscow)
Time: 19:00 (18:00 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Saratov, DS Kristall
Broadcast: Match! Igra, Start Triumph, League website.
Avtodor: The Saratov team secured 8th place with the solid win over Nizhny at home. The Volga team played with a full roster for the first time in 1.5 months, which allowed the team to update season-high performance. Therefore, Avtodor approaches the final game of 2024 in good mood and with the intention of taking revenge for the loss in Moscow. Milenko Bogicevic team has already shown the capability of fighting CSKA – in the first round clash, the Moscow team had a 2-point lead after 3 quarters. This time around, the Saratov team will be ready to battle with the opponent again with the fans support.
CSKA: The trip to Krasnodar was a disappointing for the reigning champion, as the team had offensive problems after a solid start and failed to solve them (65-69). Now the Moscow team will go to Saratov, where will have the last game of 2024. Avtodor was able to give Andreas Pistiolis team a hard time in the first round, so the preparation for the upcoming rivalry will surely be special. It will be important to neutralize the opponent sharpshooters.
UNICS (Kazan) vs PARMA (Perm Region)
Time: 20:00 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Kazan, Basket Hall
Broadcast: Match! Igra, Start Triumph, League website.
UNICS: Velimir Perasovic team is having the best stretch of the season with 5 straight wins and 2 100+ wins in their last 3 games. But extending that streak won’t be easy. The Kazan team has a clash with PARMA, which has the second best winning streak after UNICS. Despite the presence of Royce Hamm on the roster, the hosts coaching staff will be able use Ismael Bako and Jalen Reynolds for an advantage in the paint. Another factor in UNICS’ advantage will surely be the perimeter defense – the team is in the Top 2 in average steals per game (9.1 rebounds).
PARMA: The win over Loko and the return of Samson Ruzhentsev helped PARMA to 3 straight wins and stay at 6th place. The Perm team will finish 2024 with a clash versus UNICS, which beat the team in the first round – 74:83. But since then, Evgeny Pashutin team has improved offensively, and in the last 3 games averaged 48% long-range shooting. Three-pointers could be the key to win in Kazan, as PARMA outperforms its future rival in long-range shooting both on a season average and over the last few games.
