Get the rundown on the upcoming games in the VTB United League.
Saturday, March 11
Parma (Russia) – Khimki (Russia)
Time: 5:30 PM (3:30 MSK)
Place: Molot Sports Palace, Perm, Russia
TV: VTB-League.com
Parma: Parma has gone all out in hopes of stealing a win in the League, signing several experienced foreign players. The schedule isn’t kind, however. Perm faces the cream of the crop in upcoming weeks, beginning with Khimki. The good news is that Parma will be home again following a three-game road trip.
Khimki: Dusko Ivanovic’s men couldn’t get past Valencia in the Eurocup. Now they need to focus on earning the best possible seed for the looming VTB United League playoffs. With a win in Perm, Khimki would only trail CSKA by one game in the standings.
Moscow Region cruised to victory in the first meeting. Don’t be surprised if the visitors try to exploit Parma’s shaky perimeter defending (Khimki is 2nd in the League at 41% from downtown). Alexey Shved, who won the February MVP award in the League, is especially dangerous right now.
Sunday, March 12
Nizhny Novgorod (Russia) – Enisey (Russia)
Time: 4:00 PM (4:00 MSK)
Place: Sports Palace, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
TV: VTB-League.com
Nizhny Novgorod: Everyone expected a shootout in last weekend’s matchup between Nizhny and CSKA with both teams ranked in the top-four in points scored per game. Unfortunately for Nizhny, CSKA was the only team to light up the scoreboard in a dominant 101-65 win.
Despite the setback, Nizhny Novgorod’s playoff hopes are still alive. Sunday, however, is a must-win. Enisey is currently 8th in the standings and a loss to the Siberians would all but eliminate Nizhny from the playoff chase. With a win, on the other hand, Ainars Bagatskis’ club can close the gap to 1.5 games.
Enisey: A setback against Zenit, coupled with Astana’s three-game winning streak, dropped the Siberians into 8th place. Another defeat on Sunday to Nizhny Novgorod would further undermine Enisey’s playoff ambitions.
Enisey has struggled on the road this season (3-7), but the team is coming off a convincing win in the FIBA Europe Cup over Belgium’s Oostende. The club’s American trio of Hilliard, Elegar and Taylor combined for 50 points in the victory.
UNICS (Russia) – Zenit (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 two teams that have already clinched a spot in the playoffs, but there’s still plenty at stake. Kazan was recently eliminated from the Euroleague playoff hunt with a defeat to Barcelona, which means it’s time to focus 100% on the VTB United League. UNICS is an underwhelming 4-6 since the New Year, but Kazan still has a chance to move up the standings if it can finish the season strong.
Zenit: Zenit is clicking at the right time, riding a nine-game winning streak into Kazan. Featuring a potent, high-octane offense, expect St. Petersburg to push the tempo in Kazan.
Zenit has also done a terrific job sharing the ball this season, averaging four more assists per game than UNICS. But don’t expect the visitors to underestimate the opposition: Vasily Karasev said prior to the game that UNICS is one of the best teams in the League.
VEF (Latvia) – CSKA (Russia)
Time: 5:00 PM (6:00 MSK)
Place: Arena Riga, Riga, Latvia
TV: VTB-League.com
VEF: Riga is on the verge of clinching a spot in the postseason. But it won’t be an easy road with games against CSKA, UNICS and Loko remaining on the calendar. VEF will also have to play several playoff hopefuls on the road. The gauntlet begins with a home game against CSKA. Riga is 0-9 all-time against the Army Men, but maybe the 10th time will be the charm.
CSKA: Dimitris Itoudis’s men enjoyed a bright start to spring, defeating Galatasaray in the Euroleague to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals. But as League president Sergey Kushchenko noted, it’s going to be very important for CSKA to stay sharp down the stretch. The team does have limitations, not even ranking in the top-10 in the League in rebounding. But stingy defense and an outstanding backcourt have been more than adequate compensation. Given that VEF struggles to score the ball (only 76.4 points per game), CSKA will likely emphasize defense in Riga.
Tuesday, March 14
Kalev (Estonia) – Avtodor (Russia)
Time: 6:30 PM (7:30 MSK)
Place: Saku Suurhall, Tallinn, Estonia
TV: VTB-League.com
Kalev: Whoever loses this game is effectively eliminated from the postseason hunt, putting a ton of pressure on the players to deliver. Despite the home-court advantage, Kalev isn’t necessarily favored. Tallinn has never beat Avtodor, sits beneath them in the standings and features a shaky defense. Given Saratov’s explosive offense, that’s a bad sign for the Estonians. The club also lost one of its leaders, Rain Veideman, recently.
Avtodor: But that doesn’t mean Saratov will cruise to victory. Avtodor has only won once on the road this season, scoring 11 points less per game away from home (79.4 vs. 90.3). Saratov also gives up the most points per game in the League.
On the other hand, Vladimir Antsiferov’s men can catch Nizhny Novgorod in the standings with a win. The club also brought in Australian national team forward Cameron Gliddon to replace Michael Carrera. It will be interesting to see what he adds to Saratov’s game.
