Mid-Week Game Previews

Two regular-season games are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.

Wednesday, April 13

Kalev (Estonia) - Avtodor (Russia)
Time: 6:30 PM (6:30 PM MSK)
Place: Saku Suurhall, Tallinn, Estonia
TV: SA Tallinna Televisioon (Estonia), Match! Nash sport (Russia), United League TV
Stats: VTB-League.com preview

Kalev: The Estonians have lost four straight, despite testing powerhouse clubs Lokomotiv-Kuban and UNICS in recent weeks. Tallinn also pushed Avtodor to the limit when these two clubs met earlier in the season, holding Saratov's offense to 68 points in a defeat.

Avtodor: The Volga club has been electric, scoring over 130 points three times in the last two months while stringing together a nine-game winning streak. Saratov is also trying to pass Khimki in the standings and needs a win against Kalev to keep the pressure on Dusko Ivanovic's club.

Thursday, Apri 14

Zenit (Russia) - Tsmoki-Minsk (Belarus)
Time: 8:00 PM (8:00 PM MSK)
Place: SIBUR Arena, St. Petersburg, Russia
TV: Belarus-5 (Belarus), Match! Nash sport (Russia), United League TV
Stats: VTB-League.com preview

Zenit: After two tough road losses to Avtodor and Khimki, Zenit has regained its stride, knocking off Nizhny Novgorod, Kalev and Nymburk in quick succession. Zenit's upcoming games are very important, giving the club a chance to secure a top-four finish and possibly even pass Lokomotiv-Kuban for 3rd place.

Tsmoki-Minsk: The Dragons have a tough finish to the season: five straight games against clubs from the top-eight (not including the final game vs. Kalev). Though the team has already been eliminated from playoff contention, these games are excellent experience for the Dragons' younger players. Tsmoki may even have a few surprises in store for Zenit. When these two teams met in Minsk, St. Petersburg needed a big finish from Janis Timma and Ryan Toolson to escape with a win.