Krasnoyarsk, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow will host 4 regular season game on Wednesday.
Enisey (Krasnoyarsk Region) vs Zenit (St. Petersburg)
Time: 19:30 (15:30 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Krasnoyarsk, Arena Sever
Broadcast: Match! Strana, TV Start, League website
Enisey: The Krasnoyarsk team got back on winning by beating PARMA at home, but it won’t be easy to extend the winning streak – Zenit leads in the season series 3-0. However, fans have every reason to expect a tense game. Over the last 3 clashes, the Siberian team has significantly improved offense with held of role players, while the St. Petersburg team struggles with instability in the first half of games. Jovica Arsic team also will have home court advantage.
Zenit: The St. Petersburg team won in Yekaterinburg and extended the winning streak to 14 games. Zenit will face an opponent from the bottom of the standings, but the trip to Krasnoyarsk will be a tough one. Although the St. Petersburg team has no problems in last 4 games, but in each had to comeback from a double-digit deficit. For another win, Zenit need to solve the problem of a weak start, as well as maintain a long-range shooting.
Samara (Samara Oblast) vs Astana (Astana)
Time: 19:00 (18:00 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Samara, SKK “Dvorets Sporta”.
Broadcast: TV Start, League website
Samara: The Volga team continue to struggle and has already 9 losses in a row. Young players (Egor Amosov, Nikita Kosyakov and others) are gaining experience and making noticeable progress, but that hasn’t helped to overcome the problems. The game with Astana will be a chance to please fans with a win. The teams have roughly the same shooting stats this season, so defense can become the key. In this aspect, the Volga team is having an advantage and averages more steals.
Astana: Gleb Plotnikov team has special mood. The game against Samara helped Astana to get only win of the season, and will try to do it again. Anton Kardanakhishvili and Ilia Popov have left the Volga team, while Astana has added T.J. Starks. The guests will get a chance to get another win.
Pari Nizhny Novgorod (Nizhny Novgorod) vs Lokomotiv Kuban (Krasnodar)
Time: 19:00 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Nizhny Novgorod, KRK Nagorny
Broadcast: Start Triumph, League website
Pari Nizhny Novgorod: The team has secured 6th place with the win over Samara, but has tough opponent ahead. The Volga team is behind the future rival in the season series, but Nizhny won the last clash with Igor Volkhin and Ilya Karpenkov performance. In the upcoming game, Nizhny Novgorod coaching staff won’t have to deal with a limited rotation – Alex Hamilton and Matic Rebec have been added to the roster since the last game. Pari NN will also have the support of the fans at home.
Lokomotiv Kuban: Andrei Vedischev team gave UNICS the fight, but lost in the end. The Krasnodar team will have a motivation to end losing streak, with an additional desire to take revenge for the loss to Pari NN in late January. Loko leads the League in rebounding (38.6 per game on average), and also outscores the opponent in blocks. That could be the key to the Volga team defense.
CSKA (Moscow) vs PARMA (Perm Region)
Time: 20:00 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Moscow, Basket Hall Moscow
Broadcast:Match! Igra, TV Start, VTB League website
CSKA: The Moscow team confidently defeated MBA-MAI in the previous round. CSKA has been on a 9-game winning streak, showing a team offense with good ball movement and rebounding. Before the game with the Perm team, CSKA looks like the favorite, as all 3 season games ended with Moscow team wins. The team stats are also favors CSKA.
PARMA: The Perm team winning streak came to an end in Krasnoyarsk, leaving Evgeny Pashutin team at 8th place. The team will be tested against the reigning champion. During the season series, the Perm team showed the ability to deal with CSKA defense, but had trouble defending against the oversized roster. PARMA need to stay focused on defense for the entire game and improve the long-range shooting to get a chance to win.
