Nizhny Novgorod and Saratov will host regular season games on Sunday.
Pari Nizhny Novgorod (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia) vs Uralmash (Yekaterinburg, Russia)
Time: 14:00 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Nizhny Novgorod, KRK Nagornyy
Broadcast: Match! Igra, TV Start, League website
Pari Nizhny Novgorod: After a bright start, Nizhny got two straight losses and dropped out of Top 3. Although last two games were close (Nizhny lost to Astana and Enisey by 5), Zoran Lukic team was unlucky in the end both times. In many ways, this situation is due to backcourt problems, which traditionally determines the game for Lukic: both Dmitrii Khvostov and Ivan Strebkov did not participate in these games. And while Strebkov is unlikely to be out for long, Nizhny’s main point guard could miss two months. Glenn Cosey has taken over the task of running the offense and doing good, but he’s had serious trouble making three-pointers since the start of the season: so far, the guard has made 29 attempts from beyond the arc and scored only 6.
Uralmash: The density in the standings is such that Uralmash, with a 50% record (3 wins in 6 games – a very respectable for the newcomer), is not even in the League Top 8 teams. Milos Pavicevic team continues focus on defense and quick transition to offense. But the team has no shooters at all: Uralmash currently ranks last in the League in three-pointer shooting percentage. However in the Ural derby versus PARMA, the Yekaterinburg team showed some improvements – at least the starting five made a respectable 8 of 19. It’s interesting that Pavicevic, who failed to see Josh Perkins’ performance, moved him from the starting lineup to the bench and limited his playing time. He was replaced by veteran Anton Glazunov, who had a great game – 2 of 4 three-pointers, 4 steals and 4 assists with only 1 turnover.
Avtodor (Saratov, Russia) vs. UNICS (Kazan, Russia)
Time: 17:00 (16:00 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Saratov, DS Kristall
Broadcast: Match! Igra, TV Start, League website
Avtodor: With 1 win in 6 games, Avtodor is at the bottom of the standings. While the game against CSKA gave the Saratov team fans reason for cautious optimism, after the game against Astana Milenko Bogicevic frankly admitted he was disappointed with the team. The Saratov team had a record-breaking performance this season, with only Rayshawn Hammonds scoring more than 10 points. Now Avtodor will face one of the United League’s elite defensive teams, which clearly wasn’t at its level the previous game and is unlikely to allow a second such loss.
UNICS: Before the game in Samara, the Kazan team had never allowed opponents to score more than 73 points this season. Although UNICS tried to make up for it by being active on offense, it fell apart at the crucial moment. Since Dimitris Priftis days, UNICS has been known primarily as an outstanding defensive team and when the team strays from that concept, accidents like the one in Samara happen. The Kazan team will probably try to rehabilitate for last week’s mistake. Since Avtodor return to the national basketball elite, the two rivals have played 20 games and the Saratov team only 2 times. UNICS will be the favorite in this game, especially since Avtodor won’t have an easy time giving the Kazan team as much trouble in the paint as Samara did. Another good news is that Eric Green, who hasn’t played since the beginning of the season and scored 13 points in his debut game, has finally recovered from his injury.
