Krasnoyarsk, Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Novgorod will host 3 regular season games on Sunday.
Enisey (Krasnoyarsk Region) vs PARMA (Perm Region)
Time: 17:00 (13:00 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Krasnoyarsk, Arena Sever
Broadcast: TV Start, League website
Enisey: Jovica Arsic was able to quickly rebuild the team’s offense after the loss of Victor Sanders. In the last 2 games, the Siberian team has averaged 89 points (20% above season average). The home game against PARMA is important – a win could help the team continue to fight for more favorable play-in places. The Perm team is ahead in the standings, but Enisey leads the season series (2-1). The Krasnoyarsk team will have a good chance to get another win.
PARMA: Evgeny Pashutin team has a chance to guarantee the Playoffs. The team needs to play 7 games better than Pari NN and Avtodor, who are next to the Perm team in the standings. With difficult schedule, it’s important to win against equal teams, which includes Enisey. PARMA has lost twice to the Siberian team this season. The team will play for the first time against the Krasnoyarsk team with a renewed and full roster. In addition, the 2-game winning streak may provide the guests with a psychological advantage.
Uralmash (Yekaterinburg) vs Zenit (St. Petersburg)
Time: 17:00 (15:00 Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Yekaterinburg, DIVS SAUSO
Broadcast: TV Start, League website
Uralmash: Over the past 10 days, the Yekaterinburg team managed to win the Russian Cup and got huge loss versus UNICS (67:93). Uralmash will surely try to rehabilitate in front of the fans and defeat last year’s Playoffs opponent. Uralmash came close to upsetting Zenit twice this season, but had problems in the endings. In addition to home-court advantage, the Yekaterinburg team may benefit from a varied offense, which has grown considerably since Anton Kardanakhishvili and Ilia Popov joined the team, as well as the return of Octavius Ellis.
Zenit: After Alexey Shved arrival, the St. Petersburg team is still undefeated with 13-games winning streak. But in recent games, Zenit has had difficulties. The team twice snatched wins in the final seconds with Georgy Zhbanov three-pointers, and was forced to come back from a 17-point deficit in the game against Avtodor. The trip to Yekaterinburg is also sure to be a tough one, as Uralmash is an uncomfortable opponent for Xavier Pascual team. But the guests will have many ways to find a key to the defense: Zenit has better performance, assists, and three-pointer percentage.
Pari Nizhny Novgorod (Nizhny Novgorod) vs Samara (Samara Region)
Time: 17:00 (Moscow time)
Place: Russia, Nizhny Novgorod, KRK Nagorny
Broadcast: Match! Igra, TV Start, League website
Pari Nizhny Novgorod: After failing in the Russian Cup final, Nizhny Novgorod played one of the best games of the season at home and nearly beat Zenit. Despite the loss, certain aspects of the game can give fans optimism – the team fought and moved the ball well. Therefore, Sergey Kozin team is in good shape for the clash with struggling Samara.
Samara: Vladislav Konovalov team has played Top 4 teams in the last 2 weeks and lost 3, with letting opponents to score 100 points each. Samara has been able to put up a fight, but problems with rotation have prevented the team from winning. The trip to Nizhny Novgorod also promises to be difficult, as Pari NN outperforms Samara in rebounds and scoring performance. However, the guests will have a chance to win with three-point shooting.
