UNICS Kazan hosts Lokomotiv-Kuban Krasnodar in the Game of the Week.
Where:
Basket Hall (capacity 7,000), Kazan, Russia
When:
5:00 PM (5:00 MSK), March 3, 2018
TV:
Nash Sport, VTB-League.com
Face to Face
UNICS and Lokomotiv have met often in recent years, both in the League and European competition.
Last season, Lokomotiv took down rival UNICS twice during the regular season, before eliminating the Tatar club in the playoff quarterfinals. Krasnodar lost Game 1 at home, before winning three in a row to advance to the semifinals.
UNICS picked up a 77-67 win earlier this season in Krasnodar. Overall, the Railwaymen enjoy a 13-8 advantage in VTB United League games between the two clubs.
Looking Back
Intrigue
The season returns from the All-Star break with a showdown between top-3 teams and the League’s top seed up for grabs. UNICS is in 1st place riding a seven-game winning streak with a 13-1 record overall. Kazan, however, is entering a crucial stretch of the season, with games vs. Lokomotiv, Khimki and CSKA on deck. Loko is the only opponent UNICS will play at home, making this a must-win encounter.
Lokomotiv has a chance to prove itself in Tatarstan. Krasnodar has lost two in a row (vs. Avtodor and CSKA), both at home. Sasa Obradovic hopes to avoid a third consecutive defeat. Kuban is also determined to avenge Kazan’s shocking win in Krasnodar earlier in the season, when Dimitris Priftis’ men outscored Loko 19-4 in the 4th quarter.
Balance of Power
Both teams play in the EuroCup quarterfinals next week. Though Saturday’s game has huge tourney implications, UNICS and Loko will also likely be thinking about the looming encounters vs. Bayern and Gran-Canaria, respectively. Of course, following the lengthy All-Star break, these teams should have plenty of juice for both games.
Familiar Faces
UNICS center Grigory Shukhovtsev played five seasons in Krasnodar, while Anton Ponkrashov suited up for Loko during the 2013-14 campaign.
As for Lokomotiv, Pavel Antipov spent four seasons at UNICS before joining Krasnodar over the summer. Unlike his time in Kazan, the forward has a defined role at Loko, averaging 18 minutes per game as a starter.
Antipov didn’t impress in his first meeting vs. his former club, scoring only three points in eight and a half minutes. He’ll get another chance on Saturday.
Duel
Melvin Ejim vs. Dmitry Kulagin.
Ejim has slumped a bit in recent VTB League games, averaging only five points per game in 2018. Kazan hopes his breakout performance for Canada in World Cup qualifying games (28 points, eight rebounds vs. Virgin Islands and 15 points, four rebounds and four assists vs. Bahamas) will spark a resurgence from Ejim in the League.
Kulagin is enjoying the best season of his career, improving from game to game. Since taking a leadership role on Lokomotiv’s roster, he’s done the same on the national team, putting up 17 points, four rebounds and four assists vs. France, plus 10 points, five rebounds and four assists vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina. The season’s late February pause is now behind us, but not everyone was able to relax. These two national team heroes will clash on Saturday in the Basket Hall.
Quotes
UNICS head coach Dimitris Priftis:
– This will certainly be a challenging game. Loko has been consistent all season. The team’s physical condition and energy, plus its ability to make the right decisions in big moments are their biggest weapons. We also can’t forget Loko’s snipers. We need to be aggressive and mentally strong.
Lokomotiv-Kuban head coach Sasa Obradovic:
– This team, which defeated us in the first meeting of the season and now sits in 1st place, deserves our respect and special attention. Everyone has trouble vs. UNICS. Our opponent slows the tempo and does an excellent job reading the game on both ends of the floor. This will be a big game. In order to beat such a serious opponent, we need to be as focused as possible.
