Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, Perm and Krasnodar will host 4 regular season games on Sunday.
Enisey (Krasnoyarsk Region) vs. Pari Nizhny Novgorod (Nizhny Novgorod)
Time: 17:00 (13:00 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Krasnoyarsk, Arena Sever
Broadcast: Match! Strana, VK Video, VTB League website
Enisey: The year will open with a game in Krasnoyarsk. This clash will be important for both teams as they are currently on opposite sides. Enisey is currently at 8th place, has a handicap over Pari NN. However, this advantage does not seem too significant at the moment. If case of win, the Siberian team will pull ahead by 3 wins, which will be a good start.
Pari NN: The Volga team lost to Enisey at home in the first round. However, Pari NN’s play has improved since then. The team has not been able to avoid slumps. But Sergey Kozin team is ready to fight any opponent. In this game, the guests will be highly motivated. Pari NN has a desire for revenge and also objectives in the standings. After all, a ticket to the Playoffs is literally at stake.
MBA-MAI (Moscow) vs Uralmash (Yekaterinburg)
Time: 14:00 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Moscow, Basket Hall Moscow
Broadcast: VK Video, VTB League website
MBA-MAI: After a bright start of the season, Vasily Karasev team slowed down a bit. But the team still has a margin of safety. Even 3-game losing streak did not greatly affect MBA-MAI place. The hosts remain at 6th place. One of their main pursuers is Uralmash. So the Moscow team will have an excellent chance to improve the tournament situation.
Uralmash: The guests have also not been performing very well lately. Uralmash is currently the coldest team in the League. The Yekaterinburg team has suffered 5-game losing streak. This streak has pushed Uralmash to the edge of the Playoffs, which clearly does not meet the club’s ambitions. The team is plan to get back to winning.
BETCITY PARMA (Perm Region) vs Zenit (Saint Petersburg)
Time: 18:00 (16:00 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Perm, UDS Molot
Broadcast: VK Video, VTB League website
BETCITY PARMA: A 4-game winning streak has lifted PARMA to 3rd place in the standings. But pursuers are not so far behind. A serious test awaits the team in first game of the new year. The vice champion of the last season is coming. Evgeny Pashutin team has already beaten 9 of 10 teams in the League this season. To complete this task, the Perm team needs to defeat Zenit.
Zenit: The St. Petersburg team is still searching for its game, which is affecting the team’s results. Instead of fighting for the lead with CSKA and UNICS, Zenit has already fallen back to 5th place. To return to the top three, Zenit needs to win this game. But it will not be easy. So far, only Uralmash has managed to overcome the magic of UDS Molot. CSKA, UNICS and Loko returned from Perm with losses.
Lokomotiv Kuban (Krasnodar) vs UNICS (Kazan)
Time: 16:30 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Krasnodar, Basket Hall
Broadcast: Match TV, VK Video, VTB League website
Lokomotiv Kuban: The Krasnodar team has struggled against the top four teams this season. Another test awaits Loko. In the first round, Anton Yudin’s team lost to UNICS in Kazan by double digits. Now the hosts have a chance to get revenge. The return of key players, the integration of newcomers and home-court advantage will help the Krasnodar team against one of the League leaders.
UNICS: The guests have been dealing with injuries for a long time. But this has not prevented Kazan team from continuing to fight CSKA in the standings. The key to this is Marcus Bingham and Jalen Reynolds. Almost no one has been able to stop the Kazan team bigmen duo. UNICS could get win in this clash in case of good performance of this players.
