Krasnoyarsk, Astana and Moscow will host 3 regular season games on Wednesday.
Enisey (Krasnoyarsk region) vs Avtodor (Saratov)
Time: 19:30 (15:30 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Krasnoyarsk, Arena Sever
Broadcast: Start Triumph, League website
Ensiey: A lack of concentration in the second half cost the Krasnoyarsk team a loss to Uralmash, which kept Enisey out of 10th place in the standings. The team has a game against a direct competitor for a place in the play-in zone ahead, so the Siberian team is sure to have a special motivation. Avtodor got win in Saratov, and Jovica Arsic team scored the season-worst 52 points. But that scenario is unlikely to repeat in the upcoming clash, as Enisey will have the home court factor, where the team is much more confident than on the road.
Avtodor: In the last game, the Saratov team lost to MBA-MAI without Kerem Kanter, Dusan Beslac and Caleb Agada. Before traveling to Krasnoyarsk, the Volga team coaching staff will have to adjust approach to the paint and rebounding, as Enisey is one of the Top 6 rebounding teams in the League. Avtodor is able to compensate probelms with a solid effort in offense, as the team outperforms the hosts in key offensive stats. Egor Sychkov, who scored 15 points against MBA-MAI, will be able to add variation to the offense.
Astana (Astana) vs UNICS (Kazan)
Time: 20:00 (18:00 Moscow time)
Place: Kazakhstan, Astana, Velotrek Saryarka
Broadcast: TV Start, League website
Astana: After the departure of Markell Johnson, the Kazakh team relies on the development of young players, continuing the fight for the first win of the season. Against Samara, Andrey Desyatnikov (11 points, 5/5 from the field) and Alexander Orazbekov played effectively, but lacked support from the bench. The clash with UNICS will be tough for Astana, but the fans have reason for optimism as Astana nearly got the win and had equal game versus the opponent in the first round.
UNICS: The Kazan team is established in the Top 4, but lost a chance to make the Top 3 due to loss to Loko. In the decisive quarter of the game against the Krasnodar team, UNICS was let down by poor shooting percentage, so the trip to Kazakhstan could be an opportunity for the team to regain confidence. The individual and team stats favor UNICS. In addition, the team hasn’t lost in Astana since 2015.
MBA-MAI (Moscow) vs Pari Nizhny Novgorod (Nizhny Novgorod)
Time: 20:00 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Moscow, Basket Hall Moscow
Broadcast: TV Start, League website
MBA-MAI: Vasily Karasev team finally managed to end losing streak by beating Avtodor at home. Andrey Zubkov had the best game of his career, the team managed to make 48% of shots, so the Moscow team is in good mood before the upcoming game. MBA-MAI couldn’t stop Pari NN in the first round, but in the upcoming game, the Moscow team regained their confidence will try to take revenge.
Pari Nizhny Novgorod: The team lost last 2 games and fell behind Uralmash in the standings. To secure Top 5 place, Sergey Kozin team needs to get win. Competent ball movement (Nizhny remains the League’s best team in assists) and aggressive defense on the perimeter can help against MBA-MAI. In terms of average efficiency, the Volga team also outperform the future opponent. Aleksandr Khomenko can become the key player as will have to step on the floor against his former team.
