Get the rundown on every game this weekend.
Sunday, January 15
Parma (Russia) – Zenit (Russia)
Time: 5:30 PM (3:30 MSK)
Place: Molot Sports Palace, Perm, Russia
TV: VTB-League.com
Parma: Perm was dealt another heartbreaking loss last week, falling to Avtodor in overtime to remain winless in the League. Despite the defeat, Parma proved it’s one of the League’s scrappiest teams, especially when playing in a packed Molot arena. The team also got good news during the week with experienced Slovenian forward Sasa Zagorac expected to make his Parma debut on Sunday.
Zenit: St. Petersburg coach Vasily Karasev challenged his men to not take the game lightly. A former league champion with Ural-Great, Karasev knows how tough it can be to play in Perm.
After the loss to Nizhny Novgorod in the Eurocup, Zenit bounced back with two wins, defeating Lietuvos Rytas (Janis Timma was named Eurocup MVP of the Week) and shooting down Khimki in one of the League’s best games of the season to take over 4th place in the standings.
Nizhny Novgorod (Russia) – Tsmoki-Minsk (Belarus)
Time: 4:00 PM (4:00 MSK)
Place: FOK Meshchersky, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
TV: VTB-League.com
Nizhny Novgorod: After back-to-back wins thanks to high-powered offense, Nizhny suffered a disappointing setback in Kazakhstan. Astana was able to slow down Nizhny’s attack, while also exploiting the club’s defensive limitations. The Russian club also lost to Amare Stoudemire and co. in Israel, dropping to 1-1 in the Eurocup.
There was some good news: Nizhny signed leader Ivan Strebkov to a two-year extension. Meanwhile, the team can jump Tsmoki in the standings with a win at home. After the slow start to the season, Nizhny desperately needs to win these types of games.
Tsmoki-Minsk: Minsk won’t be favored on the road. There are several reasons: Minsk is 1-5 over its last six games and has only won once on the road (vs. Parma). As far as matchups go, this one is fascinating. Nizhny gives up the most points per game in the League (95.5), while Tsmoki scores the fewest points per game (72.2).
Avtodor (Russia) – Enisey (Russia)
Time: 4:00 PM (4:00 MSK)
Place: Kristall Sports Palace, Saratov, Russia
TV: VTB-League.com
Avtodor: Saratov is gradually turning things around. As star forward Nick Minnerath put it, the team needs to go on some winning streaks. So far, Avtodor has won two in a row, surviving an overtime test in Perm, then knocking off Israel’s Maccabi Rishon in the FIBA Champions League. Saratov also got some very good news from the doctor: Guard Josh Adams, per Vladimir Rodionov, has recovered from a tough back injury and will make his season debut vs. Enisey.
Enisey: Krasnoyarsk didn’t get the result it wanted last week, losing a close game to VEF Riga. Now only 2-3 games separate Enisey and the group chasing Krasnoyarsk for the final playoff spot. On Sunday, Enisey hits the road again, where the team has struggled this season (2-5), scoring an average of 72.9 points per game. Fans should watch for the duel between big men Nick Minnerath and Enisey’s Frank Elegar, two of the most productive forwards in the League.
Khimki (Russia) – Astana (Kazakhstan)
Time: 5:00 PM (5:00 MSK)
Place: BCMO, Khimki, Russia
TV: Match! Nash sport, VTB-League.com
Khimki: The showdown between Khimki and Zenit was highlighted by Sergey Karasev and Alexey Shved’s scoring duel. Unfortunately for Moscow Region, Shved and the team got the short end of the stick, dropping to 5th place with the defeat. Khimki is now only two games ahead of 6th-place Astana, making this a huge game for both teams.
Moscow Region also lost badly to Bayern Munich in the Eurocup earlier this week, meaning Khimki is fairly desperate to get things turned around. Playing at home should help. Khimki is 6-1 in the BCMO this season.
Astana: Kazakhstan continues to surprise, trailing Zenit and Khimki by only two games. On Sunday, the team has an excellent opportunity to close the gap and keep Khimki in a tailspin.
Moscow Region, incidentally, is last in the League in assists per game. That’s not too shocking, considering the club’s offense is built on Alexey Shved iso’s. If Astana can find a way to shut down the Russian star, a win becomes much more probably, but that’s easier said than done. Something else to consider: The last time these two teams met, Egor Vyaltsev erupted for a League record 12 3-pointers en route to scoring 40 points.
Kalev (Estonia) – Lokomotiv-Kuban (Russia)
Time: 5:00 PM (6:00 MSK)
Place: Saku Suurhall, Tallinn, Estonia
TV: VTB-League.com
Kalev: These two teams are in very different places. Loko has gone 9-1 over its last 10 games, while Kalev is just 1-9. After a defeat in the Baltic derby vs. VEF, Kalev is stuck in second-last place. On offense, these two teams have similar numbers, but on defense Kalev gives up an average of 21 points per game more than the Railwaymen.
The home team has also not fared well against Lokomotiv historically, going 0-6. On Sunday, Kalev will probably try to attack Loko from the perimeter (3rd in the League in three-point shooting), but that may not be enough to overcome Krasnodar’s elite defense.
Lokomotiv-Kuban: Krasnodar has been flying high for several weeks, climbing into 3rd place with the win over UNICS and a chance to take over 2nd place with another win and a Kazan loss to CSKA. Sasa Obradovic’s club is also in 1st place in its Eurocup group after beating Murcia on Thursday. Last week, forward Andrei Zubkov also received some impressive recognition, winning the VTB United League December MVP award.
Monday, January 16
UNICS (Russia) – CSKA (Russia)
Time: 6:00 PM (6:00 MSK)
Place: Basket Hall, Kazan, Russia
TV: Match! Nash sport, VTB-League.com
UNICS: The Game of the Week features a rematch of last year’s playoff finals. UNICS, in Evgeny Pashutin’s words, needs to put everything on the line. A loss to the Army Men would widen the gap between CSKA and UNICS and might drop the Tatar club into 3rd behind Lokomotiv.
The Euroleague schedule could have an impact on Monday’s game. Unlike CSKA, who cruised to victory at home vs. Milan, UNICS played an exhausting, energy-sapping game vs. Bamberg. Kazan was also missing two key players, Quino Colom and Evgeny Voronov. UNICS’s approach to the game, and perhaps the outcome, will depend on whether or not they are available on Monday.
CSKA: The Red-Blues had lost three in a row in the Euroleague before crushing Milan on Friday. But Dimitris Itoudis’s club isn’t likely to have such an easy time against Kazan. Of course, the Army Men are 11-2 all-time vs. UNICS in the United League. With the League’s top attacking teams meeting, defense will be a big key, especially since games between these two teams tend to be low-scoring affairs (less than 80 points per game).
