Moscow and Kazan will host 2 regular season games on Saturday.
CSKA (Moscow) vs MBA-MAI (Moscow)
Time: 13:00 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Moscow, Megasport
Broadcast: TV Start, League website
CSKA: After tough game against Enisey, CSKA showed optimal shape in Kranodar with defeating Loko. Now the Moscow team has 2 home games ahead, which could help the team prepare for the battle for first place against Zenit on March 30. The next opponent will be MBA-MAI, which has never been able to cause any significant problems this season.
MBA-MAI: The Moscow team continue to fight for a more favorable play-in spot. After good stretch in February, the club had losses versus PARMA and Avtodor, which increased the gap between the 8th and 9th places. Now MBA-MAI will be tested against the reigning champion. CSKA won all previous games, but MBA-MAI still has a chance to put up a fight. The key to win may be good offense: in the last 5 games, MBA has increased scoring average, with Andrey Zubkov averaging 18 points over that stretch.
UNICS (Kazan) vs. Lokomotiv Kuban (Krasnodar)
Time: 14:00 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Kazan, Basket Hall
Broadcast: Match TV, Start Triumph, League website
UNICS: After 2 losses in February and early March, Velimir Perasovic team is back to optimal shape. Injured forwards is back to the roster, and the team has won last 4 games with 36-point difference. UNICS will face Loko twice in the final stretch of the regular season. In addition to the rivalry history, the importance of these clashes is also depend on final places in the standings. If the Kazan team win, the team can count on the 3rd place, so the players will have maximum concentration. UNICS has failed to beat the Krasnodar team so far this season, but the League vice-champion will play with a full roster and the support of fans, which could help to get revenge for the loss.
Lokomotiv Kuban: March is tough for the Krasnodar team, as Andrei Vedischev team has 3 losses in 5 games. Despite the such results and injury problems, Loko has every chance to finish the regular season in the Top 3. To do so, the team first needs to beat motivated UNICS, which has regained its shape after disappointing games in Moscow and St. Petersburg. It won’t be easy to deal with the principal rival – although the Krasnodar team has beaten UNICS twice this season, both games were extremely tense. The key to UNICS’ tough and aggressive defense may come from solid rebounding (Loko is the League’s best rebounding team) and the progress of rookie Tahjere McCall, who scored 21 points against CSKA.
