Zenit St. Petersburg hosts UNICS Kazan in a regular-season showdown.
Who:
Zenit, 2015-16 VTB United League semifinalists
vs.
UNICS, 2015-16 VTB United League finalists
Where:
Yubileyniy (capacit 7,000), St. Petersburg, Russia
When:
7:00 PM (7:00 MSK), December 11, 2016
TV:
Nash sport, VTB-League.com
Looking Back
Face to Face
In the two years since Zenit’s debut in the League, these two teams have met four times in the regular season, splitting the series, 2-2. Last season, St. Petersburg and Kazan took the rivalry to the next level, battling for a spot in the League finals. The series ultimately went five games with UNICS advancing to play CSKA in the championship round.
Intrigue
Prior to the May semifinals, Sergei Tarakanov had this to say about the two teams: “Both teams have roughly similar odds of success, but I think UNICS will make the finals. But I wouldn’t put all my money on them.”
Nothing much has changed since then. St. Petersburg and Kazan continue to battle for the League’s top positions. Zenit (6-1) and UNICS (7-1) are ranked in the top four with no one able to create any separation in the standings yet. Once again, it’s tough to discern a favorite in this matchup: putting all your money on one team or the other would be a risky move.
But fans of attacking, up-tempo basketball, and disciplined, defense-first ball will have an easy time picking a favorite. Zenit vs. UNICS features a matchup between two completely different approaches to the game.
Return
Zenit last played in St. Petersburg on November 13, scoring 101 points in a win over Nizhny Novgorod. Since then, Zenit has been on the road. The team’s long-awaited return to St. Petersburg and support of the home fans will likely give the team extra motivation.
“We haven’t played at home in a month, and everyone’s missed it: both us and the fans,” – stated Zenit coach Vasily Karasev.
Question
What condition will UNICS be in after the game vs. Olympiacos?
Zenit beat Buducnost on Wednesday in Podgorica thanks to a buzzer-beater from Stefan Markovic. St. Petersburg had already clinched a spot in the Eurocup Top 16 two weeks early, lending little urgency to Wednesday’s game. Zenit’s biggest goal was shaking off rust after a week-long break.
Kazan had a lot more on the line when it traveled to Piraeus. Making matters more complicated, Kazan got just one day to recover from the loss to Olympiacos and travel from Greece to St. Petersburg.
Player Spotlight
Ryan Toolson and Keith Langford. These are two of the League’s deadliest shooters, something they proved once again this week. Toolson dropped 32 points on Buducnost, while Langford went off for 25 points against Olympiacos.
