Perm, Saratov, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kazan will host 5 regular season games on Wednesday.
PARMA (Perm Region) vs Enisey (Krasnoyarsk Region)
Time: 19:30 (17:30 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Perm, UDS Molot
Broadcast: TV Start, League website
PARMA: The Perm team is fighting for the Top 5 with Uralmash and Pari NN after win over Loko. Samson Ruzhentsev has added variation in offense and athleticism. This will be especially important against Enisey, which is one of the best teams in offensive rebounding. This season, the Krasnoyarsk team has been the uncomfortable opponent for PARMA and beat the team twice (89:61 and 81:64). That’s why Evgeny Pashutin team will try the best and get the revenge.
Enisey: The Siberian team game was transformed after the holiday break – Enisey defeated Nizhny and Avtodor, and also managed to put UNICS in the tense ending. Jovica Arsic defensive system finally found the stability it lacked, Victor Sanders and Timofei Gerasimov felt confident in offense. The Krasnoyarsk team has a clash with PARMA. It will be difficult to extend winning streak against the Perm team, but good ball movement and rebounding could help Enisey beat PARMA again.
Avtodor (Saratov) vs Uralmash (Yekaterinburg)
Time: 19:00 (18:00 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Saratov, DS “Kristall”
Broadcast: Start Triumph, League website
Avtodor: Despite 2 losses in the last 3 games, the Saratov team is just a win away from 6th place. In the last round Milenko Bogicevic team pleased the fans with the confident win over Astana (106:64). 6 players scored 10+ points and gained momentum right before the rivalry with Uralmash. The Volga team has better long-range shooting throughout the season, but lacked the stability in games versus the Yekaterinburg team. If Avtodor will manage to feel the shot, the fans will have reason to expect a win in the upcoming game.
Uralmash: After the win over Samara, the team had a disappointing trip to Kazan, but stayed at the 5th place due to competitiors’ losses. Johnny O’Bryant departure and the loss in the Russian Cup put pressure on the team, but healthy leaders and Octavius Ellis upcoming return motivate fans to stay optimistic. Rostislav Vergun team approaches the road game in Saratov with an advantage in scoring average, rebounds and blocks, so the Yekaterinburg team will have ways to start new winning streak. In addition, Uralmash won both of its games against the Volga team this season (100:81 and 79:60).
MBA-MAI (Moscow) vs CSKA (Moscow)
Time: 19:30 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Moscow, Basket Hall Moscow
Broadcast: League website
MBA-MAI: The New Year break was good for the team – MBA-MAI got 2 wins in a row and is already tied with Samara in the number of wins. Now the team will face the first tough opponent in 2025. Vasily Karasev team is behind the opponent in key team stats, but has already proven a capability of putting up a fight against the reigning champion. In both games, MBA-MAI had equal first half with the opponent, and then lost due to a lack of offensive stability. If the hosts stay focused for the full 40 minutes this time, MBA-MAI will be able to to fight for the win.
CSKA: After a break in the League, the Moscow team won 2 games with a combined 81-point differencial and solidified the lead over UNICS and Zenit. CSKA approaches the Moscow derby in optimal shape. The League leader is better in offensive and defensive stats than the opposing team. CSKA also remains undefeated in the rivalry history versus MBA-MAI in the VTB League.
Zenit (St. Petersburg) vs Pari Nizhny Novgorod (Nizhny Novgorod)
Time: 20:00 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, St. Petersburg, CSC Arena
Broadcast: Start Triumph, League website
Zenit: After a 12-game winning streak, the St. Petersburg team is facing a decrease – 3 losses in last 5 games. The quality of play has been negatively affected by leaders’ injuries, so Zenit is adapting to it. The clash with struggling Nizhny will be an opportunity for Xavier Pascual team to bet back on winning and rehabilitate in front of the fans for the loss to Loko. Zenit will surely have an advantage in the paint – the club outperforms its future opponent in rebounding and blocks, as well as better two-point shooting. In addition, the St. Petersburg team will be helped by the home court factor.
Pari Nizhny Novgorod: Sergey Kozin team has been losing since mid-December, and last week the team lost Aubrey Dawkins. The Top 5 place is gone, so now Nizhny Novgorod is determined to regain the former spot. The trip to St. Petersburg promises to be tough again – this season Pari NN has lost twice to the St. Petersburg team. Ball movement could be the key to win – Nizhny Novgorod remains the League second-best team in assists (19.8 assists per game).
UNICS (Kazan) vs Astana (Astana)
Time: 20:00 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Kazan, Basket Hall
Broadcast: League website
UNICS: After moving up to 2nd place in the standings, the Kazan team added 2 more wins and extended winning streak to 9 in a row (the best current streak in the League). Velimir Perasovic team is in best shape. DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell is averaging 18.4 points in the last 5 games, while Jalen Reynolds and Marcos Knight are highly efficient off the bench. In the home game against Astana, UNICS will be the favorite, as the Kazan team is confidently outperforming the opponent in all stats. In this regard, fans in Kazan have every reason to expect a continuation of the winning streak.
Astana: The search for the first win of the season for the Kazakh team continues. In recent games, the team has had serious defensive problems, which led to 2 major losses to CSKA and Avtodor. Astana continue to develop young players who are gradually progressing and contributing to the game from the bench. Grigory Motovilov has also recently returned and his presence adds variation to the team’s offense. The trip to Kazan to face one of the best teams in the League promises to be tough, but if Astana players can stay focused in defense, the team will surely be able to put up a fight against UNICS.
