CSKA — Pari NN, 11 May 2021

PRE-GAME BREAKDOWN

After the previous game - the Army Team played with Fenerbahce on April 28 - the team had an unprecedently long break. The coaching staff allowed the players to get several days of rest and fully prepared for the start of the quarterfinal series.

It should be recalled that there is no fixed playoff bracket in the VTB League this season. In both the first and second stages, the higher seeded team meets the lower seeded team.

Joel Bolomboy has recovered from an ankle injury and is gradually joining basketball practices. Nikola Milutinov remains on the injured. Janis Strelnieks is not on the VTB United League roster.

WORD TO THE COACH

Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:

We are playing on the 13th day after finishing playoff series against Fener. That's kind of scary, that's too long. We aren't used to be off that long. On one hand it's good that we gave the players couple of days off but in the end of the season, with month or so until the end the players need to be in action. We tried to find friendly games, many teams rejected so we tried to keep it inside. We were practicing hard, practicing good and we wait to see what we do tomorrow on the court. Regarding Nizhny, we know that they are playing on highest level, they are highly competitive, they were playing in the Final Eight of BCL recently, and we have big respect to them.

PAST MATCHUPS

Win-loss record: 29-3
2020-21 season game:
03-Jan-2021. N.Novgorod – CSKA: 63-83 (+20)
25-Apr-2021. CSKA – N.Novgorod: 85-84 (+1)

SHORT DOSSIER

BC Nizhny Novgorod

Founded: 2000
Colors: white, black
Homecourt: Labor Unions Palace of Sports (5,000)
CEO: Alexander Khairetdinov
Head coach: Zoran Lukic
Website: www.nn-basket.ru
Accomplishments: VTB United League runner-ups (2014), Russian Championship runner-up (2014), Superleague B champion (2010), Russian Cup finalists (2011)