Perm and Astana will host 2 regular season games on Thursday.
Astana (Astana) – Avtodor (Saratov)
Place: Kazakhstan, Astana, Zhekpe-Zhek
Broadcast: TV Start, League website
Astana: There are 7 games left for the Kazakh team, but the team will definitely finish the season at the 5th place in the Group B. Astana has already lost chances of reaching the playoffs, but broke away from MINSK. And Oleg Kiselev team can get as many wins as possible. So with PARMA-PARI on Saturday, Astana almost won at home, losing only in the last seconds. Now another contender for getting into the playoffs is going to Kazakhstan – Avtodor, which until recently did not lose at the second stage. It will be difficult to beat Astana, but several factors will go into the team’s advantage. Firstly, the schedule: the team played its last road game on February 15. Secondly, the lack of psychological pressure: if every mistake can be fatal for the Saratov team, then the game result will not affect Astana place in any way.
Avtodor: In the previous round, the Volga team suffered their first lose in the second stage against Enisey at home. As a result, a little over 2 weeks before the end of the regular season, Avtodor dropped to 4th place in the Group B, but has every chance to improve. Moreover, the Saratov team probably want to take revenge for for the December loss – then the Kazakh team won with a minimal advantage (70:69), and even the performance of Malik Newman (19 points) did not save the guests. A win in Kazakhstan will help Avtodor to rise higher in the standings and continue the race for the playoffs.
PARMA-PARI (Perm) – Samara (Samara)
Place: Russia, Perm, UDS Molot
Broadcast: TV Start Triumph, Match! Igra, League website
PARMA-PARI: On Saturday, the Perm team ended a 2-game losing streak with the last seconds win in Kazakhstan (74:73), Isaiah Reese helped the team with this: 26 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds and 5 steals. However, the coaching staff lost 2 players – Malik Dime and Justin Roberson. PARMA has regained the leadership in the Group B, but now the team is waiting for almost the most important game in March. And all because Samara is a direct competitor of PARMA-PARI for a place in the playoffs, and the team that won this game in Perm will strengthen its place, while the second one will significantly lower its chances. PARMA-PARI won last rivals game – then Ryan Boatwright, who made his debut for his new team, scored a winning shot in the last seconds. And for sure, Isaiah Reese will be motivated more: the guard started the season just in Samara, but then moved to the Perm team, where he noticeably improved his performance.
Samara: The League newcomer cannot find stability yet: the team has never won 3 times in a row this season, although Samara was close to it even in February. However, the Volga team managed to improve last Friday: Sergey Bazarevich team beat MINSK for the first time with ease. Samara need to transfer such motivation to Perm, where it will be much more difficult: PARMA-PARI is known for its constant pressure and Molot will bother the guests. It is impossible to lose to Samara – in this case, Enisey can bypass the Volga team and it will be difficult to get the Krasnoyarsk team, which has gained momentum. However, Sergey Bazarevich team has certainly prepared for this important game and knows all the opponents weaknesses. Therefore, Samara key goal is to follow the game plan and be ready for a tough game for all 40 minutes.
