The game is over
Piraeus, Greece
25 February 2021 Thursday / 22:00 MSK
Peace and Friendship Stadium
74
75
CSKA
Feb. 25 (Thu):
LIVE (for Russia): Match! Country, MatchTV.ru, Sportbox.ru
LIVE (pay): Euroleague.tv

Feb. 26 (Fri):
0:35, 9:50, 18:25: Match! Game
4:00: Match TV
6:00, 16:45: Match! Country
CSKA
24.02.2021
Unusually long break is over. Our team is back on the "warpath". The Army Men flew to Athens, tomorrow they will face old rivals from Olympiacos at Piraeus...
New beginning

PRE-GAME BREAKDOWN

Panathinaikos COVID problems that led to the postponement of the game in Moscow last week played in favor of the Red-Blues. Dimitris Itoudis and his staff got a rare possibility to work on the team’s game together with the newcomers Micheal Eric and Iffe Lundberg.

Mike James who had to travel to the USA due to the tragedy in his family got back to Moscow last Wednesday and worked on his physical shape.

Even though the coaching staff got Toko Shengelia back after injury, we could not avoid the absences. Dani Hackett injured his ankle during one of the practices. The Italian is working out individually. Also Nikola Milutinov (shoulder) and Andrey Lopatin (right hand) remain out of action.

CSKA-2 players Alexander Evseev, Makar Konovalov and Daniil Kochergin worked with the main team during the preparation period. All of them stayed in Moscow with the second team.

13 players boarded the plane to Athens. The decision on the roster will be taken on the game day.

PRE-GAME QUOTES

Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:

Olympiacos got additions recently, they also have players coming back from injuries. This is a team that fights on both ends, they play high-tempo game. A lot of things are coming off the hands of Sloukas and Spanoulis, their main creators, Harrison and McKissic also have situations with the ball in their hands. They also have combinations with Printezis and Vezenkov who spread the floor. Overall, this team has everything and we know it's always tough to play against them on the road. It is a kind of new beginning for us, we also have newcomers and players coming back after injuries. We played a real game long-long time ago. The good thing that we have most of players back and we are working on the highest level.

Toko Shengelia, CSKA forward:

It's a tough team to play against. We know that they play physical, they fight all the time no matter the score, they gonna play for 40 minutes. So we are expecting a big fight. I fell a lot better and ready to go for tomorrow.

“RELATIVITY” CONNECTIONS

Nikola Milutinov joined CSKA this summer after spending the last five seasons with Olympiacos. He played a total of 135 EuroLeague games with the Reds and helped the team reach the championship game in 2017. He played under Coach Georgios Bartzokas and was a teammate of many current Olympiacos players.

Janis Strelnieks spent two seasons with Olympiacos, from 2017 to 2019. He was a teammate of Kostas Papanikolaou, Georgios Printezis, Vassilis Spanoulis and Sasha Vezenkov.

Daniel Hackett played with Olympiacos for two seasons, from 2015 to 2017. He was a teammate of Kostas Papanikolaou, Georgios Printezis and Vassilis Spanoulis.

Vassilis Spanoulis spent four seasons (2005-06, 2007-10) in Panathinaikos, where Dimitris Itoudis and Andreas Pistiolis worked as an assistant coaches.

Mike James played for PAO in 2016-17 season together with Vassilis Charalampopoulos.

Another James’ former teammate is Giannoulis Larentzakis – from their time at Kolossos, 2014-15 season. 

Darrun Hilliard played with Jean-Charles Livio for G-League team Austin Spurs in 2017-18 season.

Olympiacos's new center Kosta Koufos made his EuroLeague debut with CSKA last season.

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Twelve different players have appeared in CSKA's starting lineups so far this season. Only Nikita Kurbanov has started every game.

Mike James has made at least 1 three-point shot in 16 straight and 41 of his last 42 games. James ranks second this season with 2.8 three-point shots made per game.

James has scored in double figures in 16 straight and 46 of his last 47 games. He leads the EuroLeague in scoring this season with 20.8 points per game. He is in 15th place all-time with 2,610 points. Rudy Fernandez of Real Madrid is in 15th place with 2,614.

James has posted a PIR of at least 19 in 13 of his last 14 games. He is the league leader this season in average PIR with 21.1 per game.

James ranks sixth this season with 5.8 assists per game.

Will Clyburn has made at least 1 three-pointer in eight of his last nine games.

Toko Shengelia has posted a PIR in double figures in nine straight games.

Michael Eric needs 20 points to reach 500 for his career. 

Semen Antonov needs 21 points to reach 500 for his career. 

PAST MATCHUPS

Wins/losses: 25-16

1994-95 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Quarterfinals. CSKA – Olympiacos: 95-65 (+30)
1994-95 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Quarterfinals. Olympiacos – CSKA: 86-77 (-9)
1994-95 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Quarterfinals. Olympiacos – CSKA: 79-54 (-25)
1995-96 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Semifinal Round. CSKA – Olympiacos: 96-91 (+5)
1995-96 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Semifinal Round. Olympiacos – CSKA: 72-78 (+6)
1996-97 – Euroleague. Qualification Round. Olympiacos – CSKA: 82-51 (-31)
1996-97 – Euroleague. Qualification Round. CSKA – Olympiacos: 70-79 (-9)
1997-98 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round. Olympiacos – CSKA: 86-74 (-12)
1997-98 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round. CSKA – Olympiacos: 77-58 (+19)
1998-99 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round. CSKA – Olympiacos: 75-81 (-6)
1998-99 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round. Olympiacos – CSKA: 74-76 (+2)
2002-03 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Olympiacos: 74-67 (+7)
2002-03 – Euroleague. Regular Season. Olympiacos – CSKA: 77-79 (+2)
2003-04 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – Olympiacos: 80-66 (+14)
2003-04 – Euroleague. Top 16. Olympiacos – CSKA: 69-93 (+24)
2006-07 – Euroleague. Top 16. Olympiacos – CSKA: 64-85 (+21)
2006-07 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – Olympiacos: 83-79 (+4)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Olympiacos: 88-79 (+9)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Regular Season. Olympiacos – CSKA: 71-67 (-4)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals. CSKA – Olympiacos: 74-76 (-2)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals. Olympiacos – CSKA: 73-83 (+10)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals. CSKA – Olympiacos: 81-56 (+25)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Top 16. Olympiacos – CSKA: 78-86 (+8)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – Olympiacos: 96-64 (+32)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Final. CSKA – Olympiacos: 61-62 (-1)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Semifinal. Olympiacos – CSKA: 69-52 (-17)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Top 16. Olympiacos – CSKA: 84-76 (-8)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – Olympiacos: 76-70 (+6)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Semifinal. Olympiacos – CSKA: 70-68 (-2)
2015-16 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – Olympiacos: 92-85 (+7)
2015-16 – Euroleague. Top 16. Olympiacos – CSKA: 96-99 (+3)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Regular Season. Olympiacos – CSKA: 75-81 (+6)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Olympiacos: 90-86 (+4)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Semifinal. CSKA – Olympiacos: 78-82 (-4)
2017-18 – Euroleague. Regular Season. Olympiacos – CSKA: 88-86 (-2)
2017-18 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Olympiacos: 89-81 (+4)
2018-19 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Olympiacos: 69-65 (+4)
2018-19 – Euroleague. Regular Season. Olympiacos – CSKA: 81-97 (+16)
2019-20 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Olympiacos: 79-84 (-5)
2019-20 – Euroleague. Regular Season. Olympiacos – CSKA: 72-59 (-13)
2020-21 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Olympiacos: 80-61 (+19)

SHORT DOSSIER

Olympiacos Piraeus, Greece

Founded: 1925 (1938 – basketball section)
Colors: white, red
Homecourt: Peace and Friendship Stadium (10.845)
Presidents: Panagiotis and Giorgios Angelopoulos
Head Coach: Giorgios Bartzokas
Website: www.olympiacosbc.gr
Trophy case: - 3-time Euroleague champions (1997, 2012, 13); - Intercontinental Cup winners (2013); - 11-time Greek champions (1949, 1960, 1976, 1978, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2012, 2015); - 9-time Greek Cup winner (1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1994, 1997, 2002, 2010, 2011)

Upcoming tournament games