Three regular-season games will take place on Saturday.
Enisey (Krasnoyarsk Krai) – CSKA (Moscow)
Time: 4:00 p.m. (12:00 p.m. Moscow Time)
Venue: Russia, Krasnoyarsk, “Sever” Arena, KGAU RCSS
Broadcast: Kinopoisk
Enisey: In their last game, the Krasnoyarsk team secured their first win of the new season. Thanks to a high three-point shooting percentage and just two turnovers for the entire game, they managed to defeat Samara. In the upcoming match, Enisey will face a more formidable opponent—CSKA. The Siberians average just 11 turnovers per game, second only to UNICS in this category (10.6). However, precision in ball handling alone won’t be enough to defeat the defending champions.
CSKA: The Army Men made a successful trip to Vladivostok, where they defeated Dynamo. Problems arose at the turn of the third and fourth quarters, when the Muscovites allowed the hosts to go on a run. The skill of their players and the depth of their roster allow them to compensate for dips in their play. CSKA remains the only undefeated team in this league and intends to extend its winning streak.
Enisey Head Coach Jovica Arsić: “CSKA is a very cohesive and high-quality team led by an excellent coach. All the players know their roles and perform them well. I expect a tough game, but we need to improve so that matches against teams like CSKA remain exciting. We’re not quite at their level yet, but we’ll do everything we can to keep the game interesting for the fans for as long as possible.”
CSKA Head Coach Andreas Pistiolis: “We’re about to face a very tough opponent. Enisey, as always, plays solid, well-organized basketball, and this team is especially dangerous on its home court. So we’re in for a tough game, and we’ll have to play better than we did in the last one.”
BETCITY PARMA (Perm Krai) vs. Dynamo (Vladivostok)
Time: 4:00 p.m. (2:00 p.m. Moscow Time)
Venue: Russia, Perm, UDS “Molot”
Broadcast: Kinopoisk
BETCITY PARMA: At the start of the season, the Perm team has been alternating between wins and losses. In their game against MBA, they squandered a 21-point lead and lost in the final seconds. Now the hosts will look to redeem themselves in front of their fans after that heartbreaking loss in Moscow. PARMA has been inconsistent on defense, and their high-scoring offense doesn’t always mask these issues. It’s especially important to shore up their defense in their own half against Sergey Kozin’s team, which favors fast-paced, attacking basketball.
Dynamo: Despite the loss, the league newcomers can take pride in their performance against CSKA. They showed character and made the league leaders nervous. Their lack of height didn’t prevent them from outrebounding their opponent. Dynamo continues to gain experience, but if the team’s leaders can maintain their high offensive efficiency, a victory at “Molot” wouldn’t be a surprise.
Dynamo Head Coach Sergey Kozin: “We’re facing a very tough opponent. PARMA has traditionally played very well at home, and they demonstrated this once again in their game against CSKA, where the Perm team secured a decisive victory with the strong support of their fans. After that, the team played away games against Uralmash and MBA, defeating the Moscow team by a two-point margin in a high-scoring game. To a large extent, PARMA’s style of play is shaped by its foreign players.”
“This is a challenging stretch of the schedule for us. Just two days after the game against CSKA, we’re already taking the court in Perm. We tried to recover as much as possible after the game and the flight. We’re preparing for a tough battle and understand that to compete against PARMA, we need to play our best basketball.”
Samara (Samara Region) – Uralmash (Yekaterinburg)
Time: 5:00 p.m. (4:00 p.m. Moscow Time)
Venue: Russia, Samara, SKK “Palace of Sports”
Broadcast: Kinopoisk
Samara: The Volga team returns from Krasnoyarsk with a loss. Even a standout performance by Danila Pochodyaev, who scored 22 points, wasn’t enough. A short rotation and player injuries prevent Miloš Pavičević’s team from maintaining their pace for the full forty minutes. Nevertheless, with the support of their fans, the Samara team can put up a fight. Their last victory against Uralmash came on their home court in January 2024 (68–64).
Uralmash: Anton Yudin’s team heads to Samara with a disappointing win-loss record (1-4). It’s worth noting that three of those losses came against Top-4 opponents. In their last game, the Ural team looked confident against one of the league’s leaders, UNICS. A poor third quarter prevented the “Factory Boys” from staying in the game. Nevertheless, the team is gradually finding its form and will try to back that up with a win in the upcoming game.
Samara Head Coach Miloš Pavičević: “Uralmash can certainly be counted among the top clubs in the VTB United League. Over the summer, the Yekaterinburg team had an excellent offseason. Their roster features high-caliber foreign players and talented Russian basketball players. Players like these will pose serious challenges for anyone. We’ve returned from Krasnoyarsk after a tough loss to Enisey.
We want to put up a fight against Uralmash and make our fans happy. Andrei Savrasov, Gleb Sheiko, and Artem Chevarenkov are out for this game. Our goal for this home stand is to improve with each game and grow as a team.”
Uralmash Head Coach Anton Yudin: “This is our second straight road game. As I always say, and I’ll say it again now: first and foremost, we focus on ourselves. Yes, we prepare for our opponents by taking into account their lineup and the individual strengths of their players, but the most important thing for us is our own game and how we can improve it.
Despite Samara’s position in the standings, our situation is far from ideal either. So I’ll emphasize this once again: right now, it’s much more important for us to effectively execute on the court what we’ve been working on in practice.”
