Moscow, Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Novgorod will host 3 regular season games on Sunday.
CSKA (Moscow) vs MBA-MAI (Moscow)
Time: 13:00 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Moscow, Basket Hall Moscow
Broadcast: Match! Strana, VK Video, VTB League website
CSKA: The reigning champion is in excellent shape. The Moscow team comes into the first Moscow derby of the season with 5 consecutive wins. The last 3 were won by a large score difference (average of 37.6 points). The team is the favorites in this game.
MBA-MAI: The team remains one of 6 in the League with a positive balance in the standings and closes out the leading group, which, apart from the Top 4, includes only BETCITY PARMA. MBA-MAI is having a good season due to solid play against opponents of equal or lower in the standings, but has a 0-4 record against the top contenders. The next attempt to pull off a surprise will be on Sunday.
Uralmash (Yekaterinburg) vs BETCITY PARMA (Perm)
Time: 17:00 (15:00 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Yekaterinburg, GAUSO DIVS
Broadcast: VK Video, VTB League website
Uralmash: The Yekaterinburg team has suffered 4 losses in its last 5 games and has a 6-8 record, which is not what the ambitious team had hoped for at the end of the year. Uralmash was recently reinforced by former PARMA player Isaiah Reese, and his debut game against his recent teammates would be doubly important. The mood of the team promises to be at its highest.
BETCITY PARMA: The Perm team has a 4-1 record in last 5 games, including wins over Loko and UNICS. This week, PARMA also defeated Mega in Serbia. The Ural derby will be particularly important as Evgeny Pashutin’s team got the only home loss of the season against Uralmash.
Pari Nizhny Novgorod (Nizhny Novgorod) vs Lokomotiv Kuban (Krasnodar)
Time: 16:00
Place: Russia, Nizhny Novgorod, KRK Nagorny
Broadcast: VK Video, VTB League website
Pari NN: Win in the previous game against Avtodor allowed the team to end a 4-game losing streak. The Volga team is 2 wins behind Enisey, which is at 8th place, and will try to close the gap at home, where traditionally play best basketball. The return of injured players also gives hope to fans of Sergei Kozin’s team.
Lokomotiv Kuban: The break did not have the best effect on the Krasnodar team, which suffered 3 losses in 3 games after the resumption of the regular season, including a 29-point loss in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. The Krasnodar team urgently needs to recover and get back to winning.
