Five VTB United League games are scheduled for Saturday – Monday.
Saturday, October 28
Lokomotiv-Kuban Russia – Nizhny Novgorod Russia
Time: 3:00 PM (3:00 MSK)
Place: Basket Hall, Krasnodar, Russia
TV: Match! Nash Sport, VTB-League.com
Lokomotiv-Kuban (1-1): Both Nizhny and Loko lost in the VTB League last week. The Railwaymen rebounded from Saturday’s 4th-quarter collapse vs. UNICS with a win in the EuroCup, defeating Lietuvos Rytas in overtime.
Sasa Obradovic’s club scored 93 points in the victory, relying on an undersized lineup in the extra period to seal the deal. Will the same strategy work against Nizhny?
Nizhny Novgorod (1-1): Nizhny dropped a close game to Enisey in the League, then crushed Karpos in the FIBA Europe Cup by 34 points. After the win, Zoran Lukic noted that his players were upset about the Krasnoyarsk setback and wanted to respond.
But will Nizhny have enough in the tank against Lokomotiv? Kuban enjoys a 7-3 record all-time in the League against the Volga club. The last time Nizhny took down Loko, three current Railwaymen featured on their roster: Evgeny Baburin, Vladimir Ivlev and Dmitry Khvostov.
Avtodor Russia – Kalev Estonia
Time: 5:00 PM (4:00 MSK)
Place: Kristall Sports Palace, Saratov, Russia
TV: VTB-League.com
Avtodor (1-1): After opening the season with a win, Saratov ran into a buzzsaw against CSKA, scoring only 66 points, while giving up 93. That wasn’t the only setback. On Wednesday, Andrea Mazzon’s club lost to Nevezis in European competition, drawing sharp criticism from the coach.
Mazzon was especially upset with the perimeter defense, which could be a problem against Kalev, a team averaging 38.8% from beyond the arc.
Kalev (0-3): Tallinn almost picked up its first win last week, but Branko Mirkovic’s 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark. Kalev travels to Saratov with hopes of getting a win, even though the Estonians have yet to beat Avtodor.
Kalev is also not a great road team, picking up only two wins last year away from home. Rebounding is a major concern as Tallinn ranks last in the League (30.3 per game).
Sunday, October 29
Tsmoki-Minsk Belarus – Parma Russia
Time: 4:15 PM (4:15 MSK)
Place: Minsk Arena, Minsk, Belarus
TV: VTB-League.com
Tsmoki-Minsk (1-2): Both teams picked up their first wins of the season last weekend. Tsmoki’s win came against Astana. Head coach Alexander Krutikov praised his team for making progress on offense as nine different players scored at least five points.
If the Dragons can do the same against Parma, the visitors could be in big trouble (Perm gives 92.7 points per game).
Parma (1-2): Perm matched last season’s win total with a victory in Tallinn last week. Now the Siberians could improve to .500 with another win in Minsk.
The club’s lone victory last season came in Belarus as Sergei Chernov put up 23 points. The Parma captain has been injured to start the season and is questionable for Sunday’s game. Whether or not he’s available, Parma has a chance to make it two straight wins.
Monday, October 30
Khimki Russia – Astana Kazakhstan
Time: 7:30 PM (7:30 MSK)
Place: BCMO, Khimki, Russia
TV: VTB-League.com
Khimki (3-0): Khimki’s excellent start to the season was somewhat clouded by Thursday’s defeat to Olympiacos in the EuroLeague, despite 23 points from Alexey Shved and 19 + 11 from Thomas Robinson.
Georgios Bartzokas’s men will try to bounce back at home vs. Astana. The Russians enjoy a three-game lead in the standings and will be heavily favored, outscoring the visitors by an average of 28 points per game this season.
Astana (0-3): Astana’s last win vs. Khimki came in 2013. Only four players remain from that roster (Khimki has two) and Kostas Flevarakis and co. will be hard-pressed to end the drought.
Khimki gives up a measly 62.7 points per game, a bad sign for an Astana team that has struggled to score. The Kazakhs are hoping leading scorer Justin Carter is available on Monday, after missing the game in Minsk. The American guard put up a combined 52 points in his first two games for Astana.
Time: 7:30 PM (7:30 MSK)
Place: USH CSKA, Moscow, Russia
TV: VTB-League.com
CSKA (4-0): The Army Men will be heavy favorites on Monday. After a loss to Real Madrid in the EuroLeague, CSKA responded by taking down Avtodor and Panathinaikos. Fatigue is the only concern for Dimitris Itoudis. CSKA plays Efes Anandolu on Friday in another EuroLeague match-up and will be on short rest for Monday’s home game.
VEF (0-3): After two blowout losses to open the season, VEF looked completely transformed in a narrow defeat to Zenit. Despite sitting last in the standings, Janis Gailitis’s men are playing hard and could give a worn-out CSKA roster some trouble in Moscow. Look for VEF to push the tempo at every opportunity.
