Zenit St. Petersburg hosts Lokomotiv-Kuban Krasnodar in a regular-season showdown.
Where:
SIBUR Arena (capacity 7,120), St. Petersburg, Russia
When:
5:00 PM (5:00 MSK), April 21, 2019
TV:
Match TV, VTB-League.com
Face to face
The rivalry between Lokomotiv-Kuban and Zenit is picking up steam. Two years ago, the teams played four times, trading road victories in the VTB League, before Krasnodar knocked out St. Petersburg in the EuroCup quarterfinals.
Last season, Zenit picked up a 79-78 victory in the second meeting of the year, but still failed to catch the Railwaymen for 3rd place. Loko, as a result, played Khimki in the quarterfinals, where it was eliminated. St. Petersburg, on the other hand, cruised past Avtodor and ended up taking 3rd place.
The Red and Green enjoyed revenge in this season’s opener, winning 96-64, the second-biggest margin of victory for an opening game. Overall, Kuban leads 6-3 in League match-ups.
Looking back
Intrigue
Lokomotiv-Kuban (16-7) and Zenit (14-10) are trying to finish 4th and 5th in the regular season. If that happens, these two teams will meet again in the quarterfinals. Sunday’s game will be a chance to test each other’s strength.
But a lot could still happen between now and the end of the regular season. Loko is the clear front-runner for 4th place. Krasnodar only needs to win one of its three remaining games (Zenit, Kalev, VEF). Zenit, meanwhile, has a tougher schedule (Loko and 5th-place Astana).
Whoever wins the battle of the boards…
Zenit and Loko are top-three in rebounding this season. St. Petersburg averages 36.5, 2nd-best in the League, while Krasnodar brings down 36.3 for 3rd-best.
No Reynolds
The League’s most effective player and MVP candidate Jalen Reynolds will not be able to play on Sunday due to a two-game suspension following the loss to UNICS.
St. Petersburg also has several players out with injury. Sergey Karasev, Evgeny Voronov and Andrey Desyatnikov all missed the most recent game vs. Kalev.
Familiar faces
Loko vice-captain Dmitry Kulagin played the 2014-15 season with Zenit, when he first began to break through as a star. He was signed by CSKA the following summer. St. Petersburg captain Evgeny Voronov spent two seasons in Krasnodar (2014-16).
Duel
Dmitry Kulagin vs. Codi Miller-McIntyre.
Kulagin and Miller-McIntyre have similar games. They both like to have the ball in their hands and run the offense, creating opportunities for themselves and teammates. On Sunday, the Russian and American will be at the center of attention.
Quotes
Zenit head coach Joan Plaza: “Loko is a powerful team that beat us by more than 30 points in the first meeting. The team did not have as many injuries then, but that didn’t prevent Krasnodar from crushing us in October. Lokomotiv has been on a roll. The team is playing well. In any case, we need to focus on ourselves. We need to battle from the first to the last second. Then we’ll have a chance to win. There’s no time to hang our heads. I want to say something to our fans. I simply love them. I’ve coached a lot of places, but I’ve never seen support like we have in St. Petersburg. The fans are always with us wherever we play. I also asked the fans of our football and volleyball teams to come to Sunday’s game. We need a full arena to cheer us on. That will give us extra strength and energy, which are especially crucial in big games. Yes, our opponent is good and they have one of the tallest players in the League on their roster, but we are going to leave everything on the court. With the support of our fans, we’re capable of a lot.”
Lokomotiv-Kuban head coach Bob Donewald: “Zenit is a very talented, well-coached team. They are notable for strict discipline and they play physical basketball. Compared to the start of the season, Zenit has changed significantly. They are in 5th place and the game in St. Petersburg won’t be easy.”
