Astana, Samara and Moscow will host 3 regular season games on Wednesday.
Astana (Astana) vs PARMA (Perm)
Time: 20:00 (17:00 Moscow time)
Place: Kazakhstan, Astana, Velotrack Saryarka
Broadcast: TV Start, League website
Astana: Oleg Kiselev team has a 3-game losing streak, 2 from Loko and Zenit. Astana has difficulties in defense – in 3 of the last 5 games the team allowed the opponent to score 90+ points. On offense, things are better – Carvel Anderson is making 40% of ghtee-pointers on 9 attempts per game, while Markell Johnson and Royce Hamm are consistently scoring 15+ points. The team won’t have to play any Top 4 teams in the remaining games of the first stage, so Astana has a good chance to improve the standings with wins.
PARMA: A 13-point comeback didn’t help the Perm team to defeat Zenit in overtime. After the loss, Evgeny Pashutin team is now tied with Uralmash and Samara in wins and losses (10-10). To keep the 6th place, the team need to keep winning. And the Perm team coaching staff has enough methods for that: B.J. Johnson has consistently scored 20+ points in the last 4 games, Ruslan Abdulbasirov is progressing, and the team is in the Top-2 in rebounding. That’s why PARMA has a good chances to rehabilitate.
Samara (Samara) vs Uralmash (Yekaterinburg)
Time: 20:00 (19:00 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Samara, SKK Dvorets Sporta.
Broadcast: TV Start, League website
Samara: The Volga team lost last 2 games to UNICS and CSKA, but continue to claim the 6th place in the standings. Samara has good three-point shooting percentage – 37.7% remains the second best in the League. In the first round, the Volga team outplayed Uralmash in Yekaterinburg with long-range shots (56.6%). The game on Wednesday will be an opportunity for Samara to beat their rival for the Top 6 spot and continue home winning streak.
Uralmash: Rostislav Vergun already has 2 wins with Uralmash, the last one was over MINSK (104:72). Kirill Pisklov and Aleksandr Zakharov had their best scoring United League games (15 and 20 points), and Stanley Whittaker has been a good fit with 8 points from the bench. Octavius Ellis remains the top rebounder and second in efficiency. The Yekaterinburg team is in shape and able to take revenge on Samara for the first round loss.
MBA (Moscow) vs Pari Nizhny Novgorod (Nizhny Novgorod)
Time: 20:00 (20:00 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Moscow, Basket Hall
Broadcast: Match! Strana, Start Triumph, League website
MBA: The Moscow team ended the 8-game losing streak and repeated the season-high in three-pointers made (17). MBA showed the best offense in 2 months – 54% made shots from the game and 28 assists (with 41% and 16 assists in average). The confident play may give the team an advantage versus Nizhny, which is also the closest pursuer of the Moscow team in the standings.
Pari Nizhny Novgorod: Nizhny current losing streak is already 3 games. Bryon Allen, who recovered from injury, scored 19 points against Avtodor and helped the team get back from a 17-point deficit. But Allen return has led to the need to distribute the offensive load between returning leaders and new players. If Zoran Lukic manages to find a balance in the near future, Nizhny will be able to compete for the Playoffs and handle MBA.
