Let's get to the main point

To the semifinals after the restructuring

Generally speaking, the meetings with Kazan have been going well for the Muscovites. The only failure at the end of the regular season happened in the game that had no tournament significance. But! At that moment, the UNICS management already understood that changes were needed, and these changes were already in the process. Before the start of the playoffs, the team was replenished with two guards - the diminutive Marcus Keane and Darrun Hilliard, well known to the CSKA fans. Both had already played in the first round and were synchronously scoring 10 points per game with a good percentage of long-range shots.

In the series with Avtodor, Jalen Reynolds showed himself to be the leader - 21.0 points, 5.7 rebounds. The team's main playmakers, Devon Acoon-Purcell (15.3 points) and Marcos Knight (12.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists), also performed at their level.

The past does not play basketball

“In the first round, the difference in class with our opponent was significant, but now the situation is different,” noted CSKA head coach Andreas Pistiolis. “What we did best out of what we worked on was rebounds and the level of diligence. This must be carried over to the next series. We need to think about ourselves. And not think about the past - the final, previous games - otherwise we will have problems. The opponent, the situation have changed, we must clearly understand this and give ourselves 100 percent, because the past does not play basketball. The series will be long, we prepared well for it, but we will need to work on a lot during the series.”

After the victory over Nizhny, the team practiced in Krylatskoye, moving to Megasport only for two days before the game. All players on the roster took part in the practice.

Past matchups

Wins-losses: 92-28

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)

Games of 2024-25 VTB League Season:

21-Oct-2024. CSKA – UNICS: 71-55 (+16)
09-Nov-2024. UNICS – CSKA: 73-80 (+7)
01-Mar-2025. CSKA – UNICS: 97-86 (+11)
13-Apr-2025. UNICS – CSKA: 86-78 (-8)

Brief dossier

UNICS Kazan

Founded: 1991
Color: green, black, white
Home court: Basket Hall (7,500)
President: Evgeny Bogachev
Head coach: Velimir Perasovic
Website: www.unics.ru
Trophy case:
- EuroCup winner (2011);
- FIBA Europe League winner (2004);
- VTB League and Russian champion (2023);
- 9-time Russian League runner-up (2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2021, 2024),
- 7-time Russian League bronze winner (2000, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2022),
- NEBL champion (2003),
- 3-time Russian Cup winner (2003, 2009, 2014),
- 3-Russian Cup runner-up (2005, 2007, 2010),
- 5-time VTB United League runner-up (2010, 2012, 2016, 2021, 2024)