Get ready for upcoming games in the VTB United League.
Wednesday, December 21
Zenit (Russia) – Astana (Kazakhstan)
Time: 7:00 PM (7:00 MSK)
Place: SC Yubileyniy, St. Petersburg, Russia
TV: VTB-League.com
Zenit: It’s only been three days since Zenit’s grueling battle with Lokomotiv, but St. Petersburg is back at it on Wednesday against Astana. Despite a gritty comeback in the 4th quarter, Zenit dropped its second in a row at home to Krasnodar. Injuries have been an issue for the team. As forward Trevor Mbakwe recently noted, the team hasn’t had a single practice at full strength since he signed. Given the recent setbacks, Zenit would love to finish 2016 on a high note, led by new team captain Janis Timma.
Astana: Kazakhstan faces a tough challenge: Zenit will be extremely motivated to a avoid a third-straight loss. Meanwhile, this is only Astana’s third road game of the season.
Astana coach Ilias Papatheodorou is likely working feverishly to solve Zenit’s defense. St. Petersburg only gave up 27 points in one half vs. Kuban, while the Kazakhs are 7th in scoring among the League’s top eight teams.
Thursday, December 22
Kalev (Estonia) – Khimki (Russia)
Time: 5:00 PM (6:00 MSK)
Place: Saku Suurhall, Tallinn, Estonia
TV: Match! Nash sport, VTB-League.com
Kalev: Tallinn is dropping farther and farther behind in the playoff race. Nizhny Novgorod caught the Estonians last week, moving Kalev into 11th place. It doesn’t get easier for Alar Varrak’s club on Thursday: Kalev is 0-10 all-time against Khimki. The home team’s biggest struggle is rebounding, despite the presence of Mickell Gladness: Kalev ranks 11th, while Khimki is 1st (40.4 per game vs. 35.2 for Kalev).
Khimki: Dusko Ivanovic’s club fell to 4th behind Loko after Sunday’s loss to CSKA and certainly doesn’t want to slip any further. Khimki was missing star guard Alexey Shved against the Army Men and he remains questionable for Thursday’s game. Nonetheless, Khimki has enough depth to enter as a heavy favorite against Kalev, despite playing on the road.
Sunday, December 25
Parma (Russia) – UNICS (Russia)
Time: 5:30 PM (3:30 MSK)
Place: Molot Sports Palace, Perm, Russia
TV: VTB-League.com
Parma: Few expect the VTB League newcomers to give UNICS much of a fight, especially considering Parma remains winless. The home team’s best bet will be to exploit Kazan’s Euroleague fatigue and feed off the energy in Perm’s Sport Palace.
UNICS: Evgeny Pashutin’s men celebrated a win in the Euroleague vs. Galatasaray, playing without the injured Keith Langford. Evgeny Voronov filled in nicely for the sharpshooter, dropping 22 points. Langford says he’ll be ready for the next game, so Parma should plan accordingly.
Kazan has a brutal schedule to finish the year: Thursday vs. Zalgiris, Saturday vs. Parma, with another game in the Euroleague against Panathinaikos next week. Considering the circumstances, there’s a good chance Evgeny Pashutin will rest several of his stars against Parma.
Monday, December 26
CSKA (Russia) – Enisey (Russia)
Time: 7:00 PM (7:00 MSK)
Place: USH CSKA, Moscow, Russia
TV: Match! Nash sport, VTB-League.com
CSKA: The Army Men continue to share 1st place with UNICS. Assuming Kazan takes care of business in Perm, CSKA needs a win vs. Enisey to remain atop the standings. Prior to Sunday’s game, CSKA takes on Maccabi in the Euroleague. It’s already been announced that Milos Teodosic and Nando De Colo will not play against the Israeli club, but it’s unclear whether or not they will be available vs. Enisey.
Enisey: Krasnoyarsk and Moscow met in the season opener, with the Muscovites winning by 13 on the road. Oleg Okulov’s men, however, played the reigning champs tough. If Enisey can score the upset on the road, they would create some separation from 8th-place VEF and possibly even bump Astana from 6th. It won’t be easy. Enisey only scores 73.2 points per game on the road, one of the lowest averages in the League. Going against CSKA’s stingy defense, that won’t get the job done.
