Wednesday, March 20
Nizhny Novgorod Russia – VEF Latvia
Time: 7:00 PM (7:00 MSK)
Place: Narodny, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
TV: VTB-League.com
Nizhny Novgorod: Despite playing well in recent months and boasting wins over teams like UNICS, Khimki and Zenit, Nizhny has yet to guarantee a spot in the 2019 playoffs, separated from 9th-place Avtodor by only two wins. Kalev could also drop the Volga club into 8th place, which would almost certainly mean a match-up with CSKA in the first round of the playoffs. Against VEF, Nizhny has gone 9-4 in the League, including a win this January in Riga.
VEF: The playoffs have already started for Riga. Any loss could mean an end to the team’s postseason ambitions. The team is currently riding a club-record five-game winning streak. VEF was terrific on Sunday vs. Avtodor, breaking down its rival on defense and playing balanced offense for the entire 40 minutes. VEF and Nizhny are similar when it comes to tempo and style of play, so even the smallest thing could decide the outcome today.
