UNICS — CSKA, 26 December 2020
LIVE (for Russia): Match TV, MatchTV.ru, Sportbox.ru, Vtb-league.com
16:55: Match! Country
Dec. 27 (Sun):
6:00: Match! Country
PRE-GAME BREAKDOWN
The Army Men lost three games in a row to UNICS in the VTB League regular seasons, including the only game of the last season. It was April 2, 2018 when CSKA defeated Kazan side for the last time. The Muscovites did not win at Kazan since December 10, 2017. On the other side, our team's asset is a 12-game winning streak in both tournament we play.
The Red-Blues away roster stands at 14 players. Will Clyburn started his rehab after ankle injury. Joel Bolomboy recovered after illness, he just started to work individually. Therefore two CSKA-2 players – Yuri Umrikhin and Alexander Shashkov - joined the main team right after their return from the Superleague 1 game at Yekaterinburg.
WORD TO THE COACH
Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:
We have and we always had huge respect to UNICS. Just another time they collected good roster of athletic and experienced players, they signed 9 foreign players and that shows their ambitions in both competitions they play. We know they will be very motivated to play against us. We are shorthanded, we are loaded but we are also in good momentum, we play together and we go to Kazan to fight.
PAST MATCHUPS
Wins-losses: 76-19
CSKA biggest margin of victory: 102-54 (+48) (1997-98 Russian Championship. Quarterfinal)
UNICS biggest margin of victory: 113-77 (-36) (2000-01 Russian Superleague. Regular season. 2nd stage)
Game of VTB United League 2019-20 Regular Season:
02-Dec-2019. UNICS – CSKA: 94-86 (-8)
SHORT DOSSIER
UNICS Kazan
Founded: 1991
Color: green, black, white
Home court: Basket Hall (7,500)
President: Evgeny Bogachev
Head coach: Dimitrios Priftis
Website: www.unics.ru
Trophy case:
- EuroCup winner (2011),
- FIBA Europe League winner (2004),
- 4-time Russian League runner-up (2001, 2002, 2004, 2007),
- 6-time Russian League bronze winner (2000, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011),
- NEBL champion (2003),
- 3-time Russian Cup winner (2003, 2009, 2014),
- 3-Russian Cup runner-up (2005, 2007, 2010),
- 3-time VTB United League runner-up (2010, 2012, 2016)
