Five games are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in the VTB United League, highlighted by Khimki’s visit to CSKA.
Saturday, December 17
Avtodor (Russia) – UNICS (Russia)
Time: 3:00 PM (3:00 MSK)
Place: Kristall Sports Palace, Saratov, Russia
TV: Match! Nash sport, VTB-League.com
Avtodor: Saratov finally snapped its losing streak last week by knocking off Kalev at home, the club’s first win in the VTB United League since October 7. It’s clear that Sergei Bykov’s arrival has boosted the team’s confidence, something head coach Sergei Mokin has expressed publicly. Bykov could play an important role in multiple ways against former club UNICS. In addition to his leadership skills, expect Bykov’s competitive spirit to rub off on his teammates on Saturday.
UNICS: Kazan will also have plenty of motivation. UNICS suffered one of its most disappointing losses of the season on Thursday, falling in the final seconds to Baskonia despite another clutch basket from Keith Langford in crunchtime. Avtodor won’t have it easy against UNICS. The Tatar club is 2nd in scoring in the League, while Saratov sits 12th in points allowed (89.3 per game).
Sunday, December 18
Enisey (Russia) – Tsmoki-Minsk (Belarus)
Time: 7:10 PM (3:10 MSK)
Place: Arena Sever, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
TV: VTB-League.com
Enisey: Krasnoyarsk and Minsk are neighbors in the standings (8th and 9th, respectively). With a win, Enisey can solidify its playoff positioning and gain some separation from the chase pack. Enisey’s results haven’t been very impressive in recent weeks, but the team does have a recent win over Kalev and opened the second round of the Europe Cup with a victory against Groningen. Enisey plays very aggressive, attacking basketball at home (averaging 16 points more at home than on the road) and will probably try to outgun Tsmoki from the start.
Tsmoki-Minsk: The Dragons played their last game in the United League almost two weeks ago, so they’ve had time to recover from the fiasco in Kazakhstan. Minsk is still in 9th place, but a 1-4 record over the last five games (the only win coming against last-place Parma) has Tsmoki on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs. Igor Grishchuk’s men struggle most on offense, ranking 12th in the League, ahead of only Parma, when it comes to points scored.
CSKA (Russia) – Khimki (Russia)
Time: 5:00 PM (5:00 MSK)
Place: USH CSKA, Moscow, Russia
TV: Match TV, VTB-League.com
CSKA: Fans will get to enjoy one of Russia’s biggest rivalries on Sunday. Both teams are title contenders and playing extremely well, with few injuries to slow them down. Milos Teodosic is back after missing a few games and Nando De Colo could be available, despite not playing on Friday vs. Barcelona. CSKA’s star backcourt will face an intriguing match-up against Khimki’s talented guards. Unfortunately for the Army Men, Khimki will have two extra days of rest after playing Bilbao on Wednesday in the Eurocup.
Khimki: Dusko Ivanovic’s club continues to roll. The team’s won seven straight, including a blowout win on Wednesday. Khimki has also advanced to the competition’s Top 16. Most importantly, the team is playing Ivanovic’s style. Bolstered by recent signings, the frontcourt has helped Moscow Region lead the League in rebounds (40.5 per game), even better than the Army Men. On the other hand, this is only Khimki’s 2nd road game of the season (out of eight total), while CSKA has yet to lose at home.
Nizhny Novgorod (Russia) – Parma (Russia)
Time: 4:00 PM (4:00 MSK)
Place: Sports Palace, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
TV: VTB-League.com
Nizhny Novgorod: This meeting between two clubs in the League cellar could end up being one of the weekend’s most entertaining games. Nizhny remains the only team in the League that gives up more than 90 points per game. At the same, Nizhny has had success in the Eurocup, advancing to the Top 16. Prior to the game against Cedevita, Arturs Stalbergs noted that his team was on the rise, which made the loss all the more painful (even a breakout game from Kenny Boynton didn’t help). But despite a 1-7 record in the VTB United League, Nizhny only trails 8th-place Enisey by two and a half games, a very manageable deficit. A win against Parma would be a significant boost and Nizhny has cause for optimism with Tomislav Zubcic expected to make his debut.
Parma: On the other hand, Perm is probably hoping to score its first win of the season against its 12th-place opponent. Unlike Parma, Nizhny Novgorod plays aggressive, somewhat risky basketball with a lot of 3-point attempts (most in the League). The visitors will try to take advantage of Nizhny’s mistakes and push the ball on offense. Nizhny’s lack of depth could also play into Parma’s hands. Ingus Jakovics left the club earlier this week and Ivan Strebkov wasn’t able to play against Cedevita and is questionable for Sunday.
Zenit (Russia) – Lokomotiv-Kuban (Russia)
Time: 7:00 PM (7:00 MSK)
Place: SC Yubileyniy, St. Petersburg, Russia
TV: Match! Nash sport, VTB-League.com
Zenit: St. Petersburg is hoping to bump Lokomotiv-Kuban from 4th in the standings. Both teams played in the Eurocup during the week, getting very different results. Loko lost, while Zenit picked up an incredible comeback win vs. Unicaja, despite a weakened roster and double-digit deficit at the end of the first half. With the win, led by Janis Timma’s 33-point MVP performance, Zenit won its group. Nonetheless, Vasily Karasev’s men do have some concerns. Illness and injuries continue to be an issue and it’s unclear how healthy Stefan Markovic will be for Sunday’s game.
Lokomotiv-Kuban: Sasa Obradovic’s men played a grueling road game against Valencia on Wednesday, losing by a point. Nonetheless, Krasnodar remains the League’s top defensive team (the only club giving up less than 70 points per game) and boast an impressive record on the road. Kuban plays even better defense away from home, giving up only 66.4 points per game. The team’s seven-game winning streak has helped lift Loko into 4th place and close the gap on Khimki. With a win over Zenit, Krasnodar could get some breathing room in 4th place and possibly even move into 3rd.
