Khimki Moscow Region hosts CSKA Moscow in the Game of the Week.
Where:
BCMO (capacity 4,000), Khimki, Russia
When:
7:00 PM (7:00 MSK), November 6, 2017
TV:
Match TV, VTB-League.com
Face to Face
CSKA leads the all-time series between these two teams, 77-17.
The rivalry has frequently extended to the postseason, and sparked many classic showdowns. Last season, however, largely disappointed, despite a match-up in the playoff finals. The Army Men went 5-0 vs. Khimki between the regular season and postseason, winning by average of 17.4 points per game. Overall, CSKA has won the last 12 meetings between these two teams.
Looking Back
Intrigue:
Despite CSKA’s recent dominance, the Leningradka Derby is still the biggest rivalry in the League and there is reason to believe the competition on the court will be much fiercer in 2017-18. Khimki completely rebuilt its roster over the summer, and new head coach Georgios Bartzokas, plus an impressive free-agent haul, have raised expectations in Moscow Region significantly. Though it was only the preseason, Khimki has already defeated CSKA once, beating the Army Men in the championship game of the Gomelsky Cup. This will be the first regular-season meeting between the League’s top two contenders.
Khimki (4-0) and CSKA (5-0) are currently perched atop the standings, but only one team will remain unbeaten after Monday.
Balance of Power
Khimki traveled to Madrid on Thursday, dealing Real its first loss of the season. Khimki’s performance in the EuroLeague was in sharp contrast to last Monday’s game vs. Astana, when the Yellow-Blues nearly were upset at home by winless Astana, escaping in the final seconds. Bartzokas was blunt following the game, saying his team took a nightmarish approach to the game. He was also insistent that his team shouldn’t be seen as one of the favorites to reach the EuroLeague Final Four. That’s not surprising. This is a brand-new team and there will be plenty of ups and downs over the course of the season. When shots aren’t falling and the opponent is experienced and well-coached, Khimki has had trouble. Prior to the win over Real Madrid, Khimki had been in something of a tailspin, losing big to Olympiacos and almost dropping the game to Astana. But it looks like Bartzokas was able to right the ship in the nick of time.
CSKA also visited Madrid recently. The Red-Blues lost the game, but have dominant since the 13-point defeat, winning five in a row, including blowout victories against Panathinaikos and Anadolu Efes in the EuroLeague. Because of EuroBasket, CSKA didn’t have much time to practice with a full roster before the season began. Now it looks like the team is hitting its stride entering the second month of competition. The Army Men will be without point guard Leo Westermann due to injury on Monday, though the Frenchman is expected back in several weeks.
X-Factor
Khimki forward Thomas Robinson has been outstanding to start the season. A lottery pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Robinson is a big reason many believe Khimki can contend for a championship in 2017-18. So far, everything is going according to plan. T-Rob is nearly unstoppable in the paint, productive on the glass and excellent in fast-break situations. It will be interesting to see how he responds to the pressure of a big rivalry game. Kyle Hines has had a lot of success against Khimki over the years. He’s got back-up now in Othello Hunter, making this a fascinating frontcourt battle to watch.
Duel
The League’s two biggest stars–Alexey Shved and Nando De Colo–will face off for the first time this season on Monday. Expect these two guards to have a disproportionate impact on the scoring. Shved and De Colo have split the last two VTB United League MVP’s and could be jockeying for a second award come spring time. Match-ups like these can go a long way in deciding both team and individual success.
Quotes
Khimki head coach Georgios Bartzokas:
– This game against CSKA is a test, to a certain degree. Our last three games have come against teams that made the EuroLeague Final Four last season. I’m talking about Olympiacos, Real and CSKA. If we want to win, we need to give 100% and play our best. The Army Men have a lot of experience. This is a talented team, but we believe in ourselves and we’ll do everything possible to win. CSKA really pushes the pace and executes beautifully. Their guards do a good job of controlling the game. We’ll try to demonstrate our best qualities against one of Europe’s top teams.
CSKA head coach Dimitris Itoudis:
– We’re facing another tough game. We have to maintain an extremely high level of concentration for the entire 40 minutes.
