ASVEL — CSKA, 27 October 2021

PRE-GAME BREAKDOWN

The Army Men used the traditional scenario to prepare for the road trip. After the day off on Saturday the team had three training days at Krylatskoe. On Tuesday 13 active players went to Lyon by Aeroflot charter flight. Nikola Milutinov (knee), Toko Shengelia (shoulder) and Marius Grigonis (back) remained in Moscow.

ASVEL Villeurbanne ranks 16th in offensive rebounds at just 8.7 per night and CSKA leads the 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague in that category (12.4 orpg.). ASVEL needs to be able to battle under the boards and relies on a very big, athletic frontcourt led by Youssoupha Fall, Kostas Antetokounmpo and a recovered Victor Wembanyama to do so. ASVEL is averaging 14.5 turnovers per night and needs to bring down that number against an aggressive team like CSKA.

PRE-GAME QUOTES

Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:

The schedule is tough but only the fact that we are shorthanded concerns us. Down the stretch the players are loaded and we can't share the load here and there. But it is what it is. We have injured players, they progress good [in their rehab], they are in the process to come back. We start this journey with ASVEL, very athletic, tall team that also has experience. They have scoring [abilities], defensive versatility, their size lets them play different defenses, they are excellent rebounding team. Overall it's a hustle game. Allow me to say that Villeurbanne together with Monaco that we play second [this week] are the candidates for the playoff spots.

Iffe Lundberg, CSKA guard:

In general teams [in French League] play very physical basketball but we going to be ready for that. We gotta focus on the game plan that coaching staff gives us, go out there and execute it. We don't focus much on other things, we focus on ourselves, how we can get better as a group, ultimately go out and fight and win a basketball games.

CLOSE “RELATIONS”

Toko Shengelia played together with ASVEL’s Yussupha Fall for Baskonia in 2019-20.

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Johannes Voigtmann has made at least 1 three-point shot in 17 of his last 18 games.

Marius Grigonis made at least 1 three-point shot in eight of his last nine games.

Alexey Shved has made at least 1 three-pointer in 21 of his last 22 appearances.

Shved ranks eighth all-time with 423 three-point shots made for his career. Jaycee Carroll is seventh with 437.

Shved has made 19 consecutive free throws dating back to last season. He ranks 10th all-time with 586 free throws made for his career. Kostas Sloukas of Olympiacos Piraeus is ninth with 595 and counting.

Shved enters Round 6 tied with Kyle Hines for 10th place all-time in scoring with 2,795 points. Milos Teodosic is ninth with 2,807.

Shved needs 6 assists to reach 800 for his career.

Will Clyburn has scored in double figures in each of his last five games.

Tornike Shengelia leads the league this season in average PIR with 24.3 per game.

He also leads the league this season in scoring with 21.0 per game.

Clyburn ranks third this season in scoring with 18.6 per game.

Milutinov ranks eighth on the all-time list with 464 offensive rebounds. Bryant Dunston of Anadolu Efes Istanbul is seventh with 474 and counting.

Marius Grigonis is ranked second all-time in free throw accuracy at 92.5%.

PAST MATCHUPS

Wins-losses: 9-4

19-Feb-1970. European Champions Cup. 1/4 Final. Group Stage. CSKA – ASVEL: 109-70 (+39)
26-Feb-1970. European Champions Cup. 1/4 Final. Group Stage. ASVEL – CSKA: 89-99 (+10)
09-Dec-1986. European Cup. 1/4 Final. Group Stage. CSKA – ASVEL: 102-53 (+49)
20-Jan-1987. European Cup. 1/4 Final. Group Stage. ASVEL – CSKA: 87-85 (-2)
20-Dec-2000. Suproleague. Regular Season. ASVEL – CSKA: 72-80 (+8)
08-Mar-2001. Suproleague. Regular Season. CSKA – ASVEL: 83-91 (-8)
17-Apr-2001. Suproleague. 1/4 finals. CSKA – ASVEL: 78-63 (+15)
19-Apr-2001. Suproleague. 1/4 finals. ASVEL – CSKA: 76-82 (+6)
31-Oct-2002. Euroleague. Regular Season. ASVEL – CSKA: 99-87 (-12)
15-Jan-2003. Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – ASVEL: 85-65 (+20)
08-Nov-2019. Euroleague. Regular Season. ASVEL – CSKA: 67-66 (-1)
22-Dec-2020. Euroleague. Regular Season. ASVEL – CSKA: 78-87 (+9)
08-Apr-2021. Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – ASVEL: 88-70 (+17)

SHORT DOSSIER

Founded: 1948
Colors: black, white, grey
Homecourt: Astroballe (5,556)
President: Tony Parker
Head coach: TJ Parker
Website: ldlcasvel.com
Trophy case:
French champions: (20) 1948-49, 1949-50, 1951-52, 1954-55, 1955-56, 1956-57, 1963-64, 1965-66, 1967-68, 1968-69, 1970-71, 1971-72, 1974-75, 1976-77, 1980-81, 2001-02, 2008-09, 2015-16, 2018-19, 2020-21.
French Cup winners: (10) 1953, 1957, 1965, 1967, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2008, 2019, 2021