Pari Nizhny Novgorod vs Zenit. Preview
Opponent
After losing in the Russian Cup final in mid-March, Sergey Kozin’s team put together a solid stretch in the VTB League. Two wins over Avtodor and Samara were followed by another victory against Uralmash. The three-game winning streak revived talk about Nizhny Novgorod’s potential fight for 8th place in the standings, although securing a playoff spot will be very difficult.
It is also worth noting another roster change for Pari Nizhny Novgorod. Kirill Popov, who took part in the win over Samara (scoring 35 points in that game), moved to Yekaterinburg and now plays for Uralmash. In the absence of the big man, some of the main scoring responsibilities for the Volga team remain with Ilya Karpenkov (11.0 points per game) and Alexander Khomenko (10.4 points per game).
Head-to-head
The upcoming game will be the fourth meeting between Zenit and Pari Nizhny Novgorod this season. The away game in October and the home game in November were won by the Blue-White-Sky Blues. However, in January Nizhny Novgorod won in the Northern Capital with a score of 89:99, so Zenit is now looking for revenge. The overall head-to-head history in the VTB United League favors the St. Petersburg side — 24-9.
Direct speech
Zenit head coach Dejan Radonjić shared his thoughts ahead of the game in Nizhny Novgorod:
They are playing well and they are in good shape, so we need to be ready to perform well on both ends of the court. Defensively, we must have enough focus and energy — to communicate and to execute the basic things such as transition defense, box out, and one-on-one defense. Offensively, we need to read the game and control the rhythm.
Who. Where. When.
Opponent: Pari Nizhny Novgorod
Location: Nagorny Arena, Nizhny Novgorod
Date: April 5, 15:00 (St. Petersburg time)
Broadcast: Okko Sport, VTB United League website, VK Video, Start Triumph
