St. Petersburg will host WINLINE Game of the Week between Zenit and Lokomotiv Kuban on Sunday.
Place: Russia, St. Petersburg, CSC Arena
Time: March 22, 2026, 13:00
Broadcasts: VK Video, VTB League website
Rivalry history
The Top 4 teams finished the regular-season series last year 2-2, each time defeating the other on the road. Things got even more interesting in the Playoffs, where these fierce rivals faced in the Semifinals. The epic series stretched to 7 games and ended with Zenit decisive win in St. Petersburg. Zenit advanced, but Loko had worn the opponent down as the St. Petersburg team simply didn’t have enough energy left for the Finals against CSKA.
The teams have faced each other 46 times in total, with Zenit holding a slight lead – 24-22.
The first clash between Loko and Zenit of the new season at Basket Hall ended with Krasnodar team win – 89:80, but the St. Petersburg team took convincing revenge at home—98:69. The third matchup also ended with hosts win – 95:85 in Krasnodar.
The Race
Zenit (24–9) and Lokomotiv Kuban (21–11) are battling for 3rd place in the standings. With the regular season entering the final stretch, a loss would virtually eliminate the Krasnodar team chances of finishing in the Top 3. A win would heighten the intrigue and make the Krasnodar team chances a reality, especially considering the win in the season series.
The 4th placed team at the end of the regular season will most likely face BETCITY PARMA in the first round.
Streak
Zenit has not lost in the League since Dejan Radonjic was appointed the head coach – 10-0 record, including the game before the Montenegrin coach joined the team. Following CSKA’s loss in Kazan, this streak is the longest currently active in the League.
Debut
Former NBA player Johnny Juzang played his first game for Zenit on Wednesday—6 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal in 20.2 minutes versus MBA-MAI.
Break
On March 15, Lokomotiv Kuban defeated Avtodor and then received an unexpected opportunity for a breather in the middle of the week. The game against Pari NN scheduled for Wednesday was postponed to a later date due logistical reasons.
Record
Trent Frazier is in excellent shape. In the game against MBA-MAI, the American recorded 14 assists in the VTB League for the third time in his career— career-high. The St. Petersburg team point guard had achieved the same milestone in the previous clash against the Moscow team in January.
Family Ties
During the offseason, 3 Russian players moved from the Loko to Zenit. Andrei Martiuk and Vladislav Emchenko, as well as Dmitrii Uzinskii played for the Krasnodar team last season.
Head-to-Head
Representatives of the Balkan coaching school Dejan Radonjic and Tomislav Tomovic will face off against each other for the first time in the VTB United League on Sunday.
For Tomovic, who has primarily worked as an assistant at the highest level, facing a renowned opponent who has led his teams to 5 Adriatic League titles will be a serious challenge.
Numbers
Zenit trails League-leading CSKA by a narrow margin in 3-point shooting percentage—38.3% (38.7% for CSKA).
The St. Petersburg team also ranks second in scoring average—88.4 points.
Lokomotiv Kuban leads the League in steals – 9.2.
The Krasnodar team ranks second in the League in assists – 20.6.
