Samara, Nizhny Novgorod and Moscow will host 3 regular season games on Friday.
Samara (Samara) – PARMA-PARI (Perm)
Time: 19:00 (18:00 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Samara, Dvorets Sporta
Broadcast: TV Start, League website
Samara: Both teams have the same stats in the standings – they have 4 wins in 8 games. Therefore, fans have the right to expect an interesting rivalry, where the winner can be determined in the last seconds. Samara is worse than PARMA-PARI in rebounding, but at the same time Sergey Bazarevich team is the third in shooting percentage in the League (49.9%). Front court has to work hard, because the Perm team has Joel James. The day before the game, Samara announced Jordan Theodore signing, who previously played in UNICS. If the guard manages to join his new team, it will be an easier to play against PARMA-PARI.
PARMA-PARI: A few days ago, the Perm team lost to CSKA at home, but at the same time the team played till the end. PARMA-PARI still does not perform at full strength – Tylor Ongvae and Danila Pokhodiaev are recovering from injuries. But even without them, PARMA look like a strong team. In addition to foreign leaders – Roberson, Allen, Dime, James, Russians also enjoy playing in the team. For example, captain Aleksandr Platunov is the third in the team in points per game (11.6 points), Pavel Antipov is the best shooter who scores 46.9% of three–pointers and Gleb Sheiko shows the best figures in points (7.9), assists (1.9) and minutes per game (21.8).
Pari Nizhny Novgorod (Nizhny Novgorod) – MINSK (Minsk)
Time: 19:00 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Nizhny Novgorod, KRK Nagorny
Broadcast: TV Start Triumph, League website
Pari Nizhny Novgorod: The Volga team continue to go 2 through 2, combining wins and losses. Zoran Lukic team has already had two losses in a row, and if they continue to follow the trend, Nizhny Novgorod should win at home this Friday. Moreover, statistically, Pari NN is stronger than the Belarusian team: scores almost 17 points more and let opponents score 3 points less. It will be interesting to see how Salash and Liutych will play against their former team – both of them played for Tsmoki at that time under MINSK head coach guidance Rostislav Vergun.
MINSK: The Belarusian team improves its game every time. This became clearly visible on Monday, when MINSK almost created a sensation against UNICS – two shots were enough for the first game, but it did not happen. Nevertheless, after this game, Rostislav Vergun noted that at this level there are no concepts of good game and progress, but only the result is important. The Belarusian team still continues to try to win and goes to Nizhny Novgorod to do it. Of course, the Volga team look like clear favorites, but if MINSK shows the same dedication as with UNICS, there will be chances to succeed.
MBA (Moscow) – Avtodor (Saratov)
Time: 20:00 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Moscow, Basket Hall
Broadcast: TV Start, Match! Igra, League website
MBA: A little more than a month of the new season is over, and the League newcomer is confidently the Top-4 of the League. MBA plays effectively, and the coaching staff does not overload players: only Andrey Lopatin has 30 minutes per game, others have no more than 25 minutes on the floor. Long roster is one of the main advantages of the Moscow team and helps to demonstrate tight defense throughout the entire 40 minutes. The game will surely be at high pace, and if MBA manages to deal with the guests legionnaires, it will most likely that the team extend the winning streak.
Avtodor: The Saratov team loosing streak has on – the team has already lost 4 times in a row and are now in 9th place. The reaction to losses was fast: instead of Nikola Rebic, Malik Newman came to the team. The American has already made his debut in the League and scored 3 points against Loko. There is no doubt that Newman will be able to bring Avtodor more benefits, especially in the absence of injured Nikita Mikhailovskii – the guard continues to recover from an ankle injury. The Saratov team needs this win at all costs, otherwise it risks falling further behind competitors in the standings.
