One regular-season game will take place on Friday.
Dynamo (Vladivostok) vs. Zenit (St. Petersburg)
Time: 7:30 p.m. (12:30 p.m. Moscow Time)
Venue: Fetisov Arena, Vladivostok, Russia
Broadcast: Kinopoisk
Dynamo: In the last round, the Primorye team secured their first home victory in the VTB League with a convincing win over Avtodor. Offense remains Dynamo’s strong suit. They are just two points shy of the 100-point mark. Now Zenit is heading to Vladivostok, and this matchup will test the hosts’ offensive capabilities. Newcomer Daniel Utomi could help “breaking down” the St. Petersburg team’s defense. The Nigerian has joined the team and has already completed his first practice.
Zenit: The St. Petersburg team secured its second straight victory, defeating Enisey in overtime. On the road against Dynamo, Dusko Ivanovic’s team will need to stay highly focused for all forty minutes to stop their opponent’s fast breaks. Both teams rank among the league’s best rebounding teams, so the battle for rebounds could be the key to success for the blue-white-and-blue.
Dynamo Head Coach Sergey Kozin: “Zenit is a very athletic team that plays aggressive, physical basketball on both offense and defense. Their roster features strong foreign players who set the tone for the game. The Russian players—Georgy Zhbanov, Andrey Martyuk, and Vladislav Emchenko. Overall, Zenit has a very high-quality and balanced roster. Our goal is to force our opponent into a battle and provide worthy competition. First and foremost, we need to withstand Zenit’s high tempo, aggression, and physical play, as well as try to neutralize their leaders.”
Zenit Head Coach Duško Ivanović: “First and foremost, we’re focused on the game against Dynamo. They’re a very good team—perhaps the best in the league at running fast breaks. They’re one of the highest-scoring teams in the championship. The players compete with high intensity, and they have many players who excel in one-on-one situations on offense. We’re in for a tough game. The flight is a little longer than usual, but we have to be ready. That’s no excuse for us—we’re focused solely on how we’re going to play.”
