Avtodor — CSKA, 25 December 2024

With shifted accents

The first meeting of the opponents in Moscow turned out to be a battle – CSKA achieved a winning advantage only in the last quarter, repelling one attempt of the opponent to get closer after another. And this despite the fact that the Volga team did not play in the optimal lineup (though, the Muscovites also did not have Melo Trimble at their disposal).

Avtodor is currently healthy. And, by the way, this team is one of the few outside the Top 4 that has six foreigners. The limit was exhausted recently: Charles Manning moved from the Napoli, has played only one game so far and is still getting used to the system of Milenko Bogicevic.

Compared to the October meeting of the teams, the accents in the game of the Saratov team have shifted significantly. The leading scorer is Jamal Crawford, who missed that game, with 16.3 points and 4.6 assists. And then comes center Kerem Kanter (12.8 points and 5.2 rebounds), who looked like a slowly adapting rookie in Moscow. Dusan Beslac averages 12.4 points and 4.1 rebounds, and only then in the statistical table comes Caleb Agada (11.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists), who put up a brilliant performance at the start of the season.

Life on the road

The Red-Blues again spent almost a day returning from Krasnodar. The team went to Stavropol by bus immediately after the game with Lokomotiv-Kuban, spent the night there and flew to Moscow on Aeroflot's regular flight, arriving home only on Monday evening. And on Tuesday at noon, CSKA was working in full force in the training facility of the Basket Hall in Krylatskoye. And, less than 24 hours later, they were back at Sheremetyevo, ready to fly out for another game.

"We are preparing for the next episode of our series of away games," said CSKA head coach Andreas Pistiolis. "We will face a team that plays beautiful basketball. But given the circumstances, for us it will be like a final. We must show reaction and character in our next game."

Past matchups

Wins/losses: 67-16
Game of 2023-24 VTB League season:

23-Oct-2024. CSKA – Avtodor: 85-74 (+11)

Brief dossier

Avtodor Saratov

Founded: 1960
Colors: black, white
Home court: Kristall Ice Palace (5,500)
President: Oleg Rodionov
Head coach: Milenko Bogicevic
Website: www.avtodor.ru
Trophy case: 4-time Russian League runner-up (1994, 97, 98, 99), 2-time Russian League bronze winner (1992, 96), EuroCup semifinalist (1998), Superleague A champion (1997, 98), Superleague B champion (2009), Superleague champion (2013/14)