UNICS will host Zenit in the Game of the Week.
Time: 15:00 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Kazan, Basket Hall
Broadcast: Match TV, League website
UNICS vs. Zenit! The reigning champion will face the SuperCup 2023 winner in Kazan for the 2nd place!
Rivalry history
The rivalry between Zenit and UNICS has a principle status. The teams have played a lot of games in the Playoffs. In the Semifinals 2016, UNICS beat Zenit and advanced to the Finals, and 2 years later the St. Petersburg team won the bronze medal game in the Final Four.
By the way, in the 2 previous seasons, Zenit and UNICS also played with each other in the Playoffs, and both times – in the Semifinals!
In 2022, the St. Petersburg team blocked UNICS path to the Finals, winning the series 3:1. A few weeks after that, Zenit took its first League title.
A year later, UNICS kept Zenit out of the main series of the year, winning the decisive Semifinals Game 7 on the road. The Kazan team then eventually became United League champion.
In the 2023/24 season, the teams played in St. Petersburg in November: UNICS controlled the game but missed a fourth quarter comeback. As a result, the reigning champion won in the end (93:83), with Marcos Knight being the beast scorer with 22 points (6 rebounds and 4 steals).
Season progress
Throughout the fall and December, UNICS was the main pursuer of CSKA. The team rarely lost and never lost twice in a row, always staying close to the Army team. But that changed in January: the Kazan team started the year with a tough win over Runa, followed by back-to-back losses to Enisey on the road and PARMA at home.
Those loses allowed Zenit to catch up UNICS in the standings. Xavier Pascual team wasn’t stable at the season start and got 4 losses in 8 games. However, the team has gradually improved trademark defense, and since November 8 have lost only twice in 14 games.
Battle for second place
The game in Kazan has a huge importance. The winning team will finish 2nd in the standings and will likely keep that place until the end of the first stage!
But win is no less important in advantage. Don’t forget that Lokomotiv Kuban is really close. In addition, the team that wins in Kazan will continue to chase CSKA, while the team that loses will significantly lower its chances of taking first place in the regular season.
Stats and numbers
UNICS has the advantage in offense. The Kazan team is second in the League in scoring, averaging 86.3 points. The reigning champion has an impressive 50.1% shooting from the game.
At the same time, UNICS’ defensive work is also impressive: the Kazan team is first in the League in steals (7.8). At the same time, Velimir Perasovic team doesn’t give opponents many chances in the paint: UNICS averages only 10.2 turnovers per game, and only Enisey has fewer this season (10.0).
Zenit focuses at defense. The team allowed opponents to score 73.5 points on average. However, the fact that Zenit has the best defense in the League shouldn’t surprise anyone.
Zenit has more team play, averaging 18 assists per game, while UNICS has only 16.2 assists. That, of course, is due to French guard Thomas Heurtel, the season leader in assists (he averages 8.3 assists).
The comeback
Vince Hunter won the League title with UNICS, and then joined Zenit in the summer. The forward successfully joined the team and is now the best in rebounds (5.8) and steals (1.6), while also scoring 12.7 points.
For the first time since leaving UNICS, Hunter will return to Kazan and try to win again at Basket Hall, but now with a different team.
In the November game in St. Petersburg, Vince played 33 minutes, making 19 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.
