Astana, Kazan and Moscow will host regular season games on Thursday.
Astana (Astana, Kazakhstan) vs Lokomotiv Kuban (Krasnodar, Russia)
Time: 20:00 (17:00 Moscow time)
Place: Kazakhstan, Astana, Velotrek Saryarka
Broadcast: TV Start, League website
Astana: Oleg Kiselev team after a strong start suffered 3 losses in a row. The Kazakh team has 4 losses total, 3 against top teams (Zenit, CSKA, UNICS). The difficult schedule was worsened by 4 road games. Astana will start a three-game home winning streak with Loko and try to end the losing streak, and at the same time to face one of the United League favourites.
Lokomotiv Kuban: Things have been going almost the opposite for the Krasnodar team. Last season’s finalist started with 1 win in 5 games, but turned the season around with a win over Zenit, then topped the League twice more and already has a neutral balance (4-4). In their last game with Pari Nizhny Novgorod, Loko achieved their largest score difference this season so far (25 points). DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell back in the lineup and clearly gaining momentum and intends to extend the team’s streak in Kazakhstan, although it will keep in mind Sunday’s super-game against CSKA.
UNICS (Kazan, Russia) vs. Runa (Moscow, Russia)
Time: 19:00 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Kazan, Basket Hall
Broadcast: Match! Igra, Start Triumph, League website
UNICS: The Kazan team responded honourably to a 104-point loss to Samara. A 3-game winning streak followed with the win over Zenit. The reigning champion approaches the game with the VTB League newcomer in good condition and as favourite of the game.
Runa: UNICS’ chances before the game in Kazan appear to be more favourable, but Runa (5-2) is only 1 win behind UNICS (6-1). Having played 7 games, the Moscow team has yet to play the Top 4 teams. The road game against the reigning champion is the ultimate test for the United League newcomer.
MBA (Moscow, Russia) vs. Enisey (Krasnoyarsk, Russia)
Time: 19:30 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Moscow, Basket Hall Moscow
Broadcast: TV Start, League website
MBA: The game with Astana gave MBA fans hope that the team is close to overcoming the middle-second syndrome and ready to return to the level of last season. Vasily Karasev team scored 35 points in the first quarter (the League season-high) and confidently got a 23-point win. Timofey Yakushin scored a career-high 27 points that night. The game with Enisey will show whether this was a one-time performance, or whether MBA is really reaching its optimal shape. So far, the teams has mirrored stats in the standings: 3-5 and 5-3 for the Siberian team.
Enisey: When fans say Enisey, they also mean Xavier Rathan-Mayes. The Siberian team leader recieved the MVP of October award last week, immediately after he scored 42 points against PARMA – a repeat of the third highest performance in League history. The guard is in terrific shape, he is the main reason why the Krasnoyarsk team is currently on the 4th place in the standings. Rathan-Mayes’ actions will largely determine the upcoming game result, and fans are also wondering if the Canadian guard will continue to perfrom.
