Samara will host the play-in game on Saturday.
Samara (Samara) vs MBA (Moscow)
Time: 16:00 (15:00 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Samara, SKK Dvorets Sporta.
Broadcast: Match! Igra, Start Triumph, League website
Samara: Samara offense struggled under pressure from Uralmash’s tight defense – 5 of 22 three-pointers and frontcourt unstable play were a barrier to win in the first play-in game. Like Uralmash, MBA defense is extremely tough, but Samara will have the advantage in the paint. The Volga team has 3 bigmen, while the Moscow team has Evgeniy Minchenko, who regularly got in foul trouble (Andrey Lopatin won’t help MBA due to health reasons). Drazen Anzulovic team is in the Top 5 in field goal percentage (36.6%). The home court factor will also help Samara.
MBA: Vasily Karasev team was able to extend the season by surviving in the end against Avtodor. MBA has 11-game winning streak, the shooting percentage has stabilized, and Vladislav Trushkin has finally became a leader. The forward is averaging 22 points in the last 5 games and makingkey shots in the endings. The Moscow team is going to Samara in a good mood, but the Volga team could be a problem. The season series so far is 3-1. Probably, the fate of the upcoming game will be decided in the last possessions. In the decisive minutes, the psychological advantage may well be on MBA side – the team had 4 tough endings and got wins in all of them.
