Astana vs Zenit. Preview
Context
At the end of March, the Kazakh club earned its second win of the season by defeating Samara on the road with a score of 74:72. Their next opponent was MBA-MAI, and although Gleb Plotnikov’s team put up a solid fight, they couldn’t secure the victory. In their last three games, Astana faced tough opponents — UNICS, Lokomotiv Kuban and a highly motivated PARMA, which at the time was still battling for a top-6. All three of those meetings ended in losses for Astana.
Despite their position in the standings, the hosts show character in every game and have several high-level players. Daniel Utomi is among the league's top scorers, averaging 14.5 points per game. Grigory Motovilov is one of the leading playmakers with 4.5 assists, and Danila Pokhodiaev ranks among the best in defensive rebounding with 4.2 boards per game. Additionally, the Kazakh team is fourth in the league in blocks per game (2.8), and Galin Smith averages one block, placing him in the league’s top-4 in that category.
Head-to-head
Over the course of their time in the VTB United League, the teams have faced each other 22 times: Zenit has won 17 of those games, while the Kazakh side has 5 victories.
Quotes
Zenit head coach Xavi Pascual on the final regular-season game:
We are ready to fly to Astana to play the last game in regular season. We know that for both teams nothing will change in the standings. But we will try to continue, to try to play serious, to continue in this rhythm of wins. And the most important, not to have injuries.
Who. Where. When.
Opponent: Astana
Location: Velotrek Saryarka, Astana
Date: April 12, 13:00 (St. Petersburg time)
Broadcast: VTB United League website, Okko Sport, Start TV
