Nymburk's Castle vs. Kazan's Battering Ram

Nymburk hosts UNICS in the Game of the Week.

Who:
Nymburk, 2014-15 Czech champions, 2014-15 Czech Cup champions
vs.
UNICS, 2014-15 VTB United League quarterfinalists

Where:
SC Nymburk (capacity 2,000), Nymburk, Czech Republic

When:
6:00 PM (8:00 PM MSK), January 31, 2016

TV:
TV Nova Sport (Czech Republic), Match! Nash Sport (Russia), United League TV

Face To Face
Nymburk and UNICS first met in December 2013 and have played a total of five times with UNICS enjoying a 5-0 advantage. Earlier this season, UNICS picked up a hard-fought win at home over Ronen Ginzburg's men, pulling away in the 4th quarter.

Looking Back

Intrigue
The Tatar club got off to a choppy start, losing at home to Tsmoki-Minsk and eeking out several wins against weaker competition. But Kazan has been virtually unstoppable in recent weeks, winning nine straight in the VTB United League and four straight in the Eurocup where it leads its group. UNICS is 2nd in the VTB United League standings and 3rd in both points scored (89.2) and points allowed (75.4) per game. Wednesday's win vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Eurocup was just the latest success, putting the team in the Eurocup Round of 16.

Nymburk, on the other hand, has been in a bit of a slump. After opening the season 6-1, Nymburk has gone 4-6 over the last two months, dropping to 7th. But the Czechs continue to be terrific at home, boasting a 7-1 record in Nymburk, with only one loss to CSKA.

Question
Can Nymburk beat a team from the top-8?

The Czechs have played eight times against teams currently in the top-8. Their record is 2-6: one upset win over Lokomotiv in Week Two and a victory against 8th-place Nizhny Novgorod in mid-January. In the rematch vs. Loko, as well as games vs. CSKA, Khimki and Avtodor, Ronen Ginzburg's men struggled to be competitive. The game against UNICS will be a moment of truth for Nymburk: if the Czechs want to compete for a top seed in the playoffs, they need to take care of business at home.

Duel
Michael Dixon (Nymburk) vs. Keith Langford (UNICS).

Both Americans lead their teams in scoring and are playing extremely well. Dixon was the best player on the court for Nymburk against Loko and even knocked down a buzzer-beater at halftime. Langford is an incredible scorer and clutch in big moments. When these two teams first met, Quino Colom led the way for UNICS, but Langford also had a huge impact. His boost of energy and timely field goals in the second half helped Kazan put Nymburk away.

Quotes
Nymburk head coach Ronen Ginzburg:
- Our opponent has a Euroleague-level roster and a very deep bench. UNICS is playing great right now, including nine straight wins in the VTB United League. Kazan leader Keith Langford may be playing the best basketball of his career right now. Our opponent has practically no weaknesses, but we'll try to find them. Nymburk is always better at home and can challenge any opponent. We'll see if we can do it against UNICS. We'll give everything we have.

UNICS head coach Evgeny Pashutin:
- We've got a tough trip to the Czech Republic, but our goal is to win. We need to focus all of our attention on Nymburk's scorers and stifle them on the perimeter. It's also important to stop their fast breaks and control the game's rhythm. For our part, we'll try to attack their weaknesses: we want to win the rebounding battle and move the ball on offense.

Prediction
- UNICS will be favored in this matchup, - says legendary Czech center and current VTB United League representative to the Euroleague, FIBA and other international organizations, Jiri Zidek. - Kazan has a star at every position. Above all, you'll notice the difference under the basket. Parakhouski, Kaimakoglou and Banic...it's tough to stop the big guys. If Keith Langford is in rhythm, then UNICS is completely unstoppable. To Nymburk's advantage, the game is at home. If the Lions can battle on the glass, take control of the tempo and hit some outside shots, it could be a good game. I hope that Michael Dixon will play his best. He's playing great right now.