One regular-season game will take place on Sunday.
Samara (Samara Region) vs. Lokomotiv-Kuban (Krasnodar)
Time: 5:00 p.m. (4:00 p.m. Moscow Time)
Venue: Russia, Samara, SKK “Palace of Sports”
Broadcast: Kinopoisk
Samara: Miloš Pavičević’s team lost to Zenit in the last round, falling short in the battle for rebounds (26–46). Samara plays well on offense, but their defense is struggling. In five of their six games this season, they’ve allowed more than ninety points. In their upcoming matchup against Loko, they’ll need maximum concentration on defense to keep their opponent’s high tempo in check.
Lokomotiv-Kuban: The Krasnodar team also played its last game against the St. Petersburg squad. A tense finish ended in a victory for Lokomotiv. Aggressive play on offense pays off even with a low field goal percentage. Although they are the favorites in the match against Samara, the Kuban team must not underestimate the hosts. The “Railroaders’” only loss to the Volga team came on the road—in December 2024, they lost 71–72.
Samara head coach Miloš Pavičević: “We’re facing yet another top-tier club. Lokomotiv-Kuban has been playing very well at the start of the season. In five games, they have secured four wins and held its own against CSKA. Our opponent’s roster looks solid—built for big challenges—and the team plays exciting basketball.
We’re approaching this game with a fighting spirit, as always. No one on the team is going to give up. We’re working with a positive attitude in practice and gradually improving from game to game. We’re playing at home, in front of our fans, who will be cheering us on. We’ll definitely do everything we can to achieve a positive result.”
Lokomotiv-Kuban head coach, Tomislav Tomović : “Samara has already shown that it’s an opponent ready to punish us for a lack of intensity. That’s why I expect my team, first and foremost, to have the right mindset going into this game. “Above all, we need to focus on our own game, maintaining the same level of intensity and toughness we showed in our previous match—that’s exactly the foundation on which we should continue to build our team.”
