What you need to know about this weekend’s games.
Saturday, January 21
Astana (Kazakhstan) – Zenit (Russia)
Time: 4:00 PM (1:00 MSK)
Place: SC Velotrek, Astana, Kazakhstan
TV: VTB-League.com
Astana: With the loss in Moscow Region last week, Astana dropped into 7th place, half a game behind VEF. It doesn’t get any easier going forward with the Kazakh club facing CSKA, Loko and Zenit over the next five games.
5th-place Zenit comes to town on Saturday. After getting crushed in St. Petersburg in December, you can bet Astana would like to return the favor at home.
Zenit: The Russian club has won three in a row, beginning with the victory over Astana last month. Zenit also got a win in the Eurocup this week, crushing Amar’e Stoudemire’s Hapoel. Stoudemire showered Zenit with compliments after the game, calling his opponents “a really well-coached team.”
Zenit is 9-3 in the League, only a game behind 2nd-place Lokomotiv. A win on the road would be huge for the team’s hopes of a lofty regular-season finish.
Nizhny Novgorod (Russia) – VEF (Latvia)
Time: 4:00 PM (4:00 MSK)
Place: Sports Palace, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
TV: VTB-League.com
Nizhny Novgorod: Nizhny Novgorod continues to be very inconsistent. After a win over a solid Tsmoki-Minsk team and scoring 100+ plus points, the team got blown out by Lietuvos Rytas in the Eurocup. Head coach Arturs Stalbergs was not pleased, stating that his team needed to change its attitude.
Nizhny doesn’t have much time left to figure things out. Though only a game back of 8th-place Enisey, Avtodor and Tsmoki-Minsk are also in the hunt for a playoff spot, making for a very crowded field. Nizhny’s defense continues to struggle, giving up 95 in the win over Tsmoki and 97 to Rytas, and could be an issue against a disciplined VEF squad.
VEF: Riga is only 2-6 all-time against Nizhny Novgorod, but the Latvians should be confident entering Saturday’s game, even though it’s on the road. After overhauling the roster in the summer, VEF has jumped out to a 6-5 start, including a 3-2 mark in its last three games. One of the League’s top rebounding teams (37.2 per game), Janis Gailitis’s squad should dominate the home team on the glass (Nizhny is last in rebounding, 31.6 per game).
Sunday, January 22
Enisey (Russia) – Lokomotiv-Kuban (Russia)
Time: 7:10 PM (3:10 MSK)
Place: Arena Sever, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
TV: Match! Nash sport, VTB-League.com
Enisey: The Siberians, like a lot of teams in the League, are competing on two fronts. Earlier this week, Enisey picked up a tough road win against the Bulgarian champs to take over 1st place in its FIBA Europe Cup group.
The team has struggled, however, in recent weeks in the VTB United League, losing three in a row. Enisey’s lead over 9th-place Avtodor is down to half a game, with Nizhny Novgorod only a game back.
Enisey should benefit from playing at home. The recent three-game skid may have been caused, in part, by being on the road. Enisey averages nearly six points more per game at home, which could be huge against the League’s top defensive team.
Lokomotiv-Kuban: Kuban has only lost once at home this season, falling to Enisey in the first game of the season. Since then, Loko has been on a tear, winning 10 straight entering Sunday’s game, the longest streak in the League. With Kazan’s loss to CSKA, Kuban has also moved into 2nd place and remains the only team in the League to defeat CSKA. Krasnodar is also 1st in points allowed, giving up a measly 65.8 per game.
Khimki (Russia) – Kalev (Estonia)
Time: 5:00 PM (5:00 MSK)
Place: BCMO, Khimki, Russia
TV: VTB-League.com
Khimki: Dusko Ivanovic’s club is 3-2 over the last five games, alternating wins and losses. Khimki is “on schedule” for another defeat, but would prefer to buck the trend against Kalev.
Several factors favor the Moscow Region side: Khimki is 11-0 all-time against Kalev and picked up a big road win against Ulm in the Eurocup on Wednesday, with Alexey Shved going off for 28 points.
Kalev: The Estonians are stuck in 12th place thanks to an eight-game losing streak. It doesn’t get any easier on Sunday as Kalev travels to Moscow Region to play 4th-ranked Khimki. While Tallinn will be heavy underdogs in Russia, fans should enjoy an entertaining, high-scoring game: Both Kalev and Khimki are ranked in the top-four in three-point attempts.
