Saratov will host the regular season game on Thursday.
Avtodor (Saratov) – Astana (Astana)
Time: 19:00 (18:00 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Saratov, DS Kristall
Broadcast: TV Start, League website
Avtodor: Last week, the Saratov team took an upset loss in Belarus, which decrease their playoff chances. Even if the team beat Astana, Avtodor would catch up with second place Samara in the Group B. The Volga team played with the Kazakh team not so long ago and got tough win on the road – 80:73. This time Avtodor will play at home and certainly want to rehabilitate after lose in Minsk. Branislav Vicentic team must prepare mentally for the game against Astana and avoid underestimating their opponent, who, despite their lack of motivation, can play equal with any team in Group B.
Astana: The Kazakh team has problems as well – in the recent game against Samara the coaching staff cannot use Kwame Vaughn and center Michael Myers, and during the game Oleg Balashov was injured. If they can’t get their starters back in time, Astana will have a tough game in Saratov. One of the main problems for Oleg Kiselev team will be rebounding: Astana is in last place in the with an average of 30.8 rebounds per game, while Avtodor is in the Top-3 with 35.8 rebounds. However, the Kazakh team has repeatedly proven to be a dangerous opponent, even without their top players.
