In the game of the week on Sunday, UNICS will host CSKA Moscow.
Where: Russia, Kazan, Basket Hall
When: November 7, 2021, 14:00 (Moscow time)
Broadcasts: Match! TV, the League website
Rivalry
UNICS and CSKA have repeatedly faced each other in regular season games and in a spectacular games for the highest places. Despite all the principled nature of the rivalry history, the red and blue significantly outperform the opponent in wins. In the VTB League, the balance is 22-5 for CSKA, the current steeak is 5 games. The last Kazan team win was almost two years ago – in December 2019.
The last battles of the teams took place quite recently – in the League Finals last season. CSKA confidently won the series in three games.
The balance of forces
The two last season finalists are approaching the next duel as the leaders of the current standings. UNICS and CSKA have a 4-1 record, the Army team is ahead only by additional stats. Basket Hall battle is one of the main game of the the new season.
At the start of the season turned out to be different for the teams. UNICS barely escaped defeat in Krasnoyarsk, then mistaken in the fourth regular season game in Saratov, and got only one win in five games in the Euroleague. UNICS returned to winning in Perm and loudly started to win ain the Euroleague, beating Baskonia and Real Madrid in Kazan. The streak was ended in France, where the Kazan team lost to ASVEL with a 3 points difference.
CSKA, after 4-0 run in the opening, got into a mini-crisis. The losses from ASVEL and Monaco (missed 22 points advantage) were aggravated by the Army team with an unlucky road to Tallinn, where they refreshed their anti-record in points scored in the League game(56). On Thursday, the red and blue lost at home to Fenerbahce, but had a chance of success, so Dimitris Itoudis is optimistic. After the game, he spoke about the good atmosphere in the team and the positive dynamics in the game.
Numbers
4 – for the second time during Dimitris Itoudis coaching CSKA, the Moscow team have four losses in a row.
Why UNICS can win
UNICS radically reorganized in the offseason, but gradually begins to take shape and finds its identity in defense – the same Baskonia and Real Madrid scored an average 63.5 points in Kazan. The successful performance in the Euroleague gave the team confidence after a bad start, the star Mario Hezonja is gaining his best shape (27 points against Parma and ASVEL).
The Kazan team have no significant problems with the injuries, the white-greens will play in Basket Hall, where they are guaranteed an energy charge in such a principled game, even if the stands are not fully filled due to the pandemic.
Why CSKA can win
After a strong start, CSKA is going through a difficult period in the League. The Euroleague double week losses and the failure in Tallinn were largely due to fatigue with the difficult schedule background, which was compound by the situation with the injured players. Now the Army team again has Tornike Shengelia, who started the season nice (the resultative leader in CSKA history in League games against UNICS – 16.8 points average), Nikola Milutinov has recovered, the team returned home after long trips, rested and regrouped.
If UNICS relies on defense and demonstrates heroic basketball on CSKA half, will charge Hezonja, Canaan and Lorenzo Brown to attack, then the red and blue practice a more balanced game and have the resources to close the opponent’s leaders. In October, Itoudis compared the team to a chameleon, which can change depending on circumstances and achieve results in offencive and defensive styles.
CSKA with its name has a magical effect on Kazan basketball players. As noted above, the Army team dominate the rivalry history and will try to extend the series to the sixth win. CSKA mood after four losses in a row promises to be maximum.
Who to follow
A few years ago, fans could not even dream that such players as Mario Hezonja and Kenneth Faried would play in the game of these Russian teams.
Mario is the 5th pick of the 2015 NBA Draft, which the most optimistic observers compared with Kobe Bryant. If he could not open up in the NBA, then Kenneth got a successful career in the strongest league in the World. His athletic and emotional skills helps him and the forward was one of the fan favorites and even won the World Cup as part of the US national team. It is symbolic that the Top 10 plays of the last week was headed by Hezonja and Faried – we are waiting for beautiful moments by them on Sunday.
We also do not forget that UNICS has the highest pick of the NBA draft, who came to Russia – O.J. Mayo (3rd pick of the 2008 Draft), who has not played in the League yet.
