Zenit vs UNICS. Preview
Context
This season, UNICS only loses to teams from the top-4 — twice to CSKA, both times to Loko, and now basketball fans are looking forward to the second meeting with Zenit. Let us remind you, the first game in Kazan ended with a victory for the blue-whites with a score of 84:87.
After the regular season resumed at the end of November, the Kazan team lost a home match to Lokomotiv-Kuban (75:87), but then secured a couple of blowout victories on the road over Astana (38:91) and Avtodor (68:86). In the last round of the regular season, Velimir Perasovic's squad achieved a resounding win against Pari NN, knocking out a hundred for the first time in the season — 102:66.
In that game against the "citizens", point guard Marcos Knight had his best match for UNICS. The American player scored 29 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. For this standout performance, Knight earned a spot in the symbolic Team of the Week, where he joined Zenit’s Egor Ryzhov. Our center also delivered his best performance since joining the main team, scoring 23 points in the game against Enisey. Additionally, in the match against Pari Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan forward DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell recorded his first double-double in the VTB United League, finishing with 10 points and 11 assists.
UNICS has the best defense among all participating teams. Over 19 regular-season games, the visitors have allowed just 1322 points — an average of 69.6 per match. At the same time, the Kazan team is also the most aggressive on the offensive boards, averaging 13.3 offensive rebounds per game.
Head-to-head
After 42 head-to-head games in the VTB United League, the visitors hold a slight advantage — 22 victories for UNICS against 20 for the St. Petersburg team.
Quotes
Zenit head coach Xavi Pascual — on the upcoming home match:
Tomorrow we are going to have a very difficult game, one team that in the last years show the biggest character of this competition, with a lot of winner players that play very good basketball, a good coach. Very difficult game. We hope to have our gym with as more spectators as possible and hopefully we can play a good game and to bring to our fans anyway.
Who. Where. When.
Opponent: UNICS
Location: CSC Arena, St. Petersburg
Date: December 18, 19:30 (local time)
Broadcast: Match TV, VTB United League website, Okko Sport
Tickets are available on tickets.bc-zenit.com
