Moscow, Krasnoyarsk and Nizhny Novgorod will host 3 regular season games on Sunday.
CSKA (Moscow) vs Zenit (St. Petersburg)
Time: 12:30 (12:30 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Moscow, Megasport
Broadcast: Match TV, TV Start, League website
CSKA: The Moscow team is still at the top of the standings. But pursuers are literally behind. One of CSKA’s main rivals is Zenit. In case of win, the St. Petersburg team will catch up with the hosts. Therefore, the Moscow team will not need to look for additional motivation. A win could significantly strengthen CSKA leading position.
Zenit: The guests have started to rebuild the roster right in the middle of the season. One of the team’s newcomers has already made his debut. However, MBA-MAI players were not able to put up enough resistance for against Alexey Shved level. But the game against his former team will be a good test for the best scoring Russian player in VTB League history. Shved clash with CSKA will be one of the main intrigues of this game.
Enisey (Krasnoyarsk region) vs Uralmash (Yekaterinburg)
Time: 17:00 (13:00 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Krasnoyarsk, Arena Sever.
Broadcast: Start Triumph, League website
Enisey: The Krasnoyarsk team is back after a long road tour. And this is a significant problem. After such long road trips, the Siberian team often lack energy in their first home game. Therefore, it’s an important task for Jovica Arsic coaching staff to reboot the players. If the hosts can physically play equally versus Uralmash, the team will have an excellent chance of win.
Uralmash: The Yekaterinburg team suffered a very upsetting loss in Perm. That’s why Uralmash going to Krasnoyarsk with a special attitude. The team has already beaten Enisey twice this season. And both times were gained by aggressive game with hard pressing and quick transition from defense to offense. In the absence of Jeremiah Martin and Stanley Whittaker, the guests will probably rely on physical basketball again.
Pari Nizhny Novgorod (Nizhny Novgorod) vs. UNICS (Kazan)
Time: 15:00 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Nizhny Novgorod, KRK Nagorny
Broadcast: Match! Igra, TV Start, League website
Pari Nizhny Novgorod: Nizhny Novgorod is gradually coming out of the crisis. And this week the team beat Lokomotiv Kuban on the road. The hosts is still operating with a less than optimal lineup, but the players have already proven of ability to handle the Top-4 teams. Pari NN has a history of beating the leaders this season, so after Loko, it’s on the way to beating UNICS.
UNICS: The team’s winning streak has already reached 13 games, which is season-high. UNICS will repeat the team all-time high 14 wins in a row in case of win the upcoming game. But players should not think about all these series. The guests have a tough game ahead. Nizhny Novgorod has already defeated CSKA and Loko this season. Velimir Perasovic team will have to be fully engaged from the very first minute.
