One regular-season game will take place on Saturday. Lokomotiv-Kuban (Krasnodar) vs. MBA (Moscow)
Lokomotiv-Kuban (Krasnodar – MBA (Moscow)
Time: 2:00 p.m. (2:00 p.m. Moscow Time)
Venue: “Basket-Hall” Sports Complex, Krasnodar, Russia
Broadcast: Kinopoisk
Lokomotiv-Kuban: The Kuban team put on a dazzling performance in the VTB League SuperCup, but kicked off the official season with a hard-fought victory over Enisey. The final score is misleading: for Tomislav Tomović’s squad, the season opener was anything but easy. The Siberians imposed a tenacious, slow-paced style and stripped “Loko” of its signature weapon—speed. However, don’t expect a similar turn of events against MBA. On the contrary, there’s every reason to believe we’re in for a display of fast-paced, attacking basketball. After all, the Muscovites, under the guidance of Sergei Voznyuk, also love to run.
MBA: The visitors are still getting used to the new coach’s philosophy. That explains their struggles in the first half of the game against CSKA. But right there, after the long break, the “Academics” proved they’re capable of competing on equal terms with the tournament’s usual leaders. MBA reined in their own speed, cut down on turnovers, and played some solid basketball. The thing is, to succeed, they need to maintain that level for all 40 minutes. And in Krasnodar, to win, the Muscovites will have to go all out from the very first whistle.
Lokomotiv-Kuban Head Coach Tomislav Tomović: “MBA has changed significantly over the offseason, but we were able to gather some information about them thanks to the exhibition game we played against them before the Super Cup. It’s a fairly young team that emphasizes pace. We need to pay special attention to controlling their fast breaks and not let them grab rebounds on our end. But our mindset will be far more important. We absolutely cannot start the game the way we did against Yenisey. What was beyond praise in the previous game was the support from the stands. The players who joined us this summer were truly impressed. For me, the “Loko” fans are the best in Russia. We really appreciate their support and look forward to seeing them on Saturday so we can repay them with our hard work and energy.”
MBA Head Coach Sergey Voznyuk: “Lokomotiv-Kuban is a well-balanced team, as the preseason showed. The Krasnodar team played very well in the SuperCup, losing only to a EuroLeague team in the final. The team is in good shape, although they’ve also suffered some main players losses. It’s always very tough to play in Krasnodar—they have great support here. We’ve come here to put up a fight with our young team. We’ll do everything we can to stay in the game and earn our chance in the upcoming match.”
