UNICS will host CSKA in the Game of the Week.
Place: Russia, Kazan, Basket Hall (capacity 7000 fans)
Time: February 15, 2023, 20:00 (Moscow time)
Broadcasts: TV Start, Match TV, League website
UNICS vs CSKA! The leaders of the season will play in Kazan before the All-Star Game break!
Rivalry
CSKA and UNICS have faced each other many times in regular season games and in the playoffs. Despite the principled rivalry history, the Moscow team got more wins. In the VTB League, CSKA leads in wins with 24-7.
Although in the previous season CSKA could not beat UNICS. First, the Kazan team won at home in November 2021 – 69:64. And then, just before the All-Star Game in Moscow, one of the most exciting regular season games in the League history happened. UNICS and CSKA played for 50 minutes, and only in the last second of the 3rd overtime, the Kazan team guard OJ Mayo made the last shot:
This season
In the 22/23 season, the teams played twice – and both times CSKA was stronger.
The opponents came up to the November game with 8 wins in 8 games. The game was equal for the most of the time – until Milutinov and Ware made a 7-0 run in the third quarter. And after Astapkovich three-pointer, the difference became double-digit for the first time.
UNICS tried to make a comeback for the whole fourth quarter – but in the end only trailed by some points to CSKA. As a result, the Army team ended the Kazan team winning streak and extended their. Dallas Moore had his best game in the League: he scored 21 points with 4 out of 5 three-pointers!
A month later, CSKA visited UNICS. The Kazan team was ready fot the game and from the very first minutes took the lead. Velimir Perasovic team confidently led the game: Macon-Reynolds duo acted as leaders and Anthony Brown gave the team an impact from the bench.
After the halftime, UNICS led by 14 – at that moment CSKA started a comeback. By the end of the 3rd quarter, the guests trailed by 7 points, and soon took the lead. The ending was incredible: twice the Army team was ahead and twice UNICS equalised with three-pointers. In the last seconds of regulation, with 84:84, Nikita Kurbanov made a drive into the paint and even scored, but had lack of time, the ball did not count and and the game went into overtime.
But in the overtime, CSKA already managed to push UNICS. The Kazan team trailed by 2 and had 5 seconds to save, but Nenad Dimitrijevic missed the three-pointer.
Since then
2.5 months after the last game, CSKA and UNICS are still leading the standings. Both teams have 1 loss each since the beginning of December.
UNICS won 9 games in a row before the loss to Loko on February 2 (70:103). However, Velimir Perasovic team reacted well and after 5 days did not leave any chances to MBA – 94:63.
CSKA has a similar situation. The Army team had a record winning streak with 24 wins in a row. The streak ended against Zenit: the St. Petersburg team managed to get the loss to Emil Rajkovic team (86:90). After 4 days, the Army Team beat Loko – 98:66.
Injuries
Jalen Reynolds has not yet taken part in the second stage games due to an injury. The forward came with the team to the game against MBA last Tuesday, but did not played. It is possible that Reynolds will return against CSKA.
At the end of December, UNICS forward Stanislav Ilnitskiy had a serious achilles tendon injury.
The Army team also has Semen Antonov, who is recovering from an achilles injury. He hasn’t been played since the end of October.
Newcomers
UNICS roster has not changed gradually. Vladislav Odinokov is the only newcomer since last rivals game– the 23-year-old forward moved to the Kazan team from MBA on loan.
But CSKA has a newcomer – this is Devontae Cacok. The 26-year-old American forward started the season at the Detroit Farm team in the G-League, where he played 14 games and averaged of 19.9 points and 9.7 rebounds.
Stats and leaders
Immediately 2 CSKA players are in the best scorers list: Alexey Shved is the third with 16.9 points per game, Nikola Milutinov is the 8th with 15.5 points. UNICS also has 2 players in the Top 10 – Daryl Macon (17.9 points) and Jalen Reynolds (15.2).
Nikola Milutinov is the best rebounder of the League (8,7). The Kazan team has Louis Labeyrie with 7.0 rebounds per game.
Alexey Shved is one of the best assistants in the League: he averages 7.8 assists per game. And in general, he helps CSKA offense a lot: 39% of the team’s points are scored after Shved shots or assists.
But UNICS does not have such a player. Nenad Dimijtrievic does it more often (in 32.2% of all offensive possessions), and he is the best UNICS assistant (5.9 per game). Daryl Macon has in this (29.7%).
As for the teams stats, CSKA and UNICS take first and second places in points per game (97.4 points – 87.1) and the shooting percentage (54.2% – 49.8%).
CSKA also leads the League in three-pointers shots (41.2%), assists (24.4) and rebounds (38.7). In addition, the Moscow team makes less turnovers in the season – only 12.2 per game. UNICS ranks third – 13.3 turnovers per game.
But the Kazan team is better in steals: the team makes 8.6 steals, while CSKA has only 7.0.
As for defense, UNICS is also slightly ahead: Velimir Perasovic team allows opponents to score 73.4 points per game, and CSKA lets 74.2 points per game this season.
Comments
Andrey Vorontsevich, UNICS forward:
– We are playing with the League long-time champion and the leader of the standings. CSKA is the best performance team. The team always sets the highest objectives. We will go motivated, charged and ready. All the guys who missed the last games recovered, with Ilnitskiy exception. In preparation for the game, we have analyzed in detail the actions of the opponents in defense, offense and are ready to fight. Our loyal fans are our jokers.
Emil Rajkovic, CSKA Head Coach:
– UNICS is a very physical team defensively. We may expect them to try to take Alex [Shved] away from pick-n-roll situations, to trap Niko [Milutinov] in low post and play as aggressive as it possible. Our task will be to limit their leaders Macon and Reynolds, to take care of the ball and to create good shots, which will also take away transition out of their game.
