CSKA And Lokomotiv Streak Into Showdown

CSKA Moscow hosts Lokomotiv-Kuban Krasnodar in the Game of the Week.

Who:
CSKA, 2014-15 VTB United League champions
vs.
Lokomotiv-Kuban, 2014-15 VTB United League semifinalists

Where:
USH CSKA (capacity 5,000), Moscow, Russia

When:
7:00 PM (7:00 PM MSK), February 28, 2016

TV:
Match! Nash sport (Russia), United League TV

Face To Face
Even though the Army Men enjoy a commanding lead in the all-time series (46-7), recent meetings between the two teams have been competitive and exciting. Outstanding offense, lockdown defense, nailbiting finishes and unbelievable comebacks: this rivalry has seen it all. Not surprisingly, CSKA and Loko combined for one of the league's most memorable playoff series. After going down 2-0 in the 2014 playoff quarterfinals, CSKA won back-to-back games in Krasnodar then returned to Moscow to finish the series in Game 5 and advance to the semifinals. Last year, Lokomotiv earned revenge, sweeping the season series thank to Anthony Randolph's dominance under the basket. Back in November, CSKA won the first meeting of the 2015-16 season, knocking off Loko 77-65 in Krasnodar.

First Encounter

Looking Back

Intrigue
The Army Men have been nearly unstoppable in the VTB United League, entering Sunday's showdown on a 19-game winning streak. Dimitris Itoudis's club is also tied for 1st place with Laboral Kutxa in its Euroleague Top 16 group. Everyone is healthy and ready to contribute, allowing Itoudis to employ an impressive rotation. Stopping the Red-Blues is a nearly impossible task right now.
Krasnodar is up to the challenge. As noted earlier, Loko was the only team to beat CSKA twice during the regular season. Since then, Lokomotiv-Kuban has taken a significant step forward. Under new head coach Georgios Bartzokas, for whom the matchup with Itoudis is especially significant, the Red-Greens have been outstanding in Europe and won 10 straight in the league. Taking down CSKA in Moscow is the best way for Loko to underline its ambitions and prove that it can beat any opponent on any court.

Question
Can Lokomotiv-Kuban shoot a high percentage from outside?

Dontaye Draper and Ryan Broekhoff have helped Krasnodar move into the league's top-3 in 3-point field-goal percentage (40%). The recent addition of Matt Janning, who's 9-14 from outside in his first three games, makes Loko even more dangerous. If Georgios Bartzokas's men can get open against CSKA and keep up their hot shooting, the Army Men could be in trouble.

Duel
Andrey Vorontsevich (CSKA) vs. Anthony Randolph (Lokomotiv-Kuban).

Vorontsevich and Randolph are very similar on the court. Both are quick, rebound the ball well and can shoot from outside. It's hard to exaggerate how important these two players are to their respective teams. For example, CSKA's only loss to Khimki this season came when Vorontsevich was out of commission. The Railwaymen, meanwhile, fell to Khimki last season in the playoff semifinals, 3-2, with Randolph unable to take the court.

Quotes
CSKA head coach Dimitris Itoudis:
- Another tough game ahead of us. Loko is a very good team and has established good play both in the Euroleague and VTB League. Definitely regarding our first meeting this season both teams will have different faces. Fesenko is not in Lokomotiv anymore, Randolph is back, they added Janning also; on the other side in Krasnodar we did not have Khryapa, Higgins and Freeland. We expect a high-intensity game. Loko has several ways to defend. They established good offensive games and they move the ball well, which is their identity. We should be aggressive on both ends, keep our level of concentration and motivation high for all 40 minutes. We also need help from our fans, every voice is important now as we enter a series of very difficult games. Each of these games is like a final for us.

Lokomotiv-Kuban head coach Georgios Bartzokas:
- We're starting a stretch of difficult games against several of Europe's top teams. Our first opponent will be CSKA. This team is terrific on offense, defends just as well and has an excellent mix of experience and talent and knows how to play consistently for the entire game. There's only one way to counter that: we need to impose our game plan and push the tempo from start to finish.

Prediction:
- I think the Army Men will manage to beat their Kuban rival, - notes former CSKA and Lokomotiv-Kuban center Alexey Savrasenko. - The game will be interesting, exciting and captivating. The fans will be happy. Loko and CSKA are playing basketball at an extremely high level. Both teams are cruising right now. I think Krasnodar's frontcourt play and Moscow's guard play will have a determining factor.