With the New Year in the rearview mirror, the VTB United League is getting back to work. But there are a few gifts left over for the fans, starting with Sunday’s showcase. Dmitry Gerchikov gives you a taste of the weekend’s two biggest match-ups.
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The regular season is nearing the midway point. Most teams will wrap up the first leg of the 2016-17 campaign this weekend and League analysts will be busy cranking out midseason reviews. Two important games, scheduled for Krasnodar and St. Petersburg, could have an outsized impact on the press.
Lokomotiv-Kuban – UNICS
Place: Krasnodar
Time: 4:30 PM
TV: Match! Nash sport, VTB-League.com
The VTB United League leaders will get a frosty welcome in Krasnodar. Sasa Obradovic’s club brought sunny temps (+4 in Krasnodar) and big momentum from Spain, picking up an 86-71 win over Gran Canaria in the first round of the Eurocup Top 16. Last season’s leaders, Ryan Broekhoff and Matt Janning, aren’t the only ones doing damage: Kevin Jones and Ian Vougioukas have been solid additions this season and captain Andrei Zubkov is showing tremendous growth. The Railwaymen are rolling and determined to erase the hole they dug in the standings at the beginning of the season. Krasnodar has won eight straight in the League (including December wins over CSKA and Zenit), to go with strong play in the Eurocup. Even 1st-place UNICS won’t intimidate the Red-Greens now.
UNICS is also flying high. Despite a recent loss in the Euroleague to Baskonia, the White-Greens are back in the Euroleague playoff chase thanks to wins against Galatasaray, Zalgiris and Pao. The victory against Greek power Pao was especially impressive.
In the VTB League, Kazan has only lost once–a blowout defeat in Khimki. Since then, Evgeny Pashutin’s men have won five in a row, including three straight on the road. UNICS’s biggest challenge is finding time to rest and prepare for Lokomotiv. After the game in Vitoria, UNICS had only two days to make the trip to Krasnodar. Coach Pashutin will need to get creative in order to maximize a fatigued, relatively small roster. Of course, when you have the red-hot Keith Langford at your disposal, there can’t be any excuses.
Zenit – Khimki
Place: St. Petersburg
Time: 7:00 PM
TV: Match TV, VTB-League.com
There’s a lot at stake for Khimki in this game with the club celebrating its 20-year anniversary this week. With the fans looking to celebrate, nothing would be better than giving them a win over a title contender on the road. Through 10 games, only one win separates the two teams. Should Khimki stumble, it could drop a few spots in the standings. Despite issues with injuries, the visitors can’t afford another setback.
That said, even without Jeremy Evans, Moscow Region hopes to dominate against last season’s playoff semifinalists. To this point, Khimki has only lost four times across all competitions, approximately one setback per month. Considering how easily the team disposed of Lietkabelis in the Eurocup Top 16 on Wednesday, it’s clear Dusko Ivanovic’s system is beginning to fire on all cylinders.
Zenit is not easily scared. St. Petersburg took down some of Europe’s top clubs in the Eurocup this fall (Bayern, Unicaja and Murcia), even winning the group. The Blue-White-Sky Blues have also been competitive against other elite teams in the League, though they have yet to score a win. The only thing that should concern Karasev right now is the team’s shaky play at home. Zenit lost to both UNICS and Loko this season in the Yubileyniy. Khimki is next and St. Petersburg fans have to hope the team can finally break through against top domestic competition.
Zenit’s loss to open the Eurocup Top 16 adds extra intrigue. St. Petersburg fell in a shootout in Nizhny Novgorod on Wednesday, 113-105. Karasev has to be worried about his team’s defense, with both the press and halfcourt versions struggling. There hasn’t been much time to make adjustments, which could make Sunday’s game a nerve-wracking affair for the fans.
