Astana — CSKA, 10 April 2022

PRE-GAME BREAKDOWN

CSKA will play in Almaty for the first time in post-Soviet era. The Kazakh club explains its decision to move with technical reasons and desire to promote basketball in the other regions of the country.

The red-blues played no games for 12 days. This time was used to rest players, practice and adapt the newcomers (Jonas Jerebko, Casper Ware and Allerik Freeman) to the system.

WORD TO THE COACH

Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:

We had pretty good practices, the players work honestly. Even though it was 12 days [between the games] we managed to have a good schedule with tough and very competitive practices. We are ready for the game, we are going to compete there. We want to see how the newcomers are doing, especially Allerik and Jonas who just came back to action. We also want to catch a good rhythm with just two games left in the regular season.

“RELATIVITY” CONNECTIONS

Valery Tikhonenko, Astana General Manager, is a legend of CSKA. He played for the Army Men for 5 seasons (1985-87, 1997-2000) and coached the team for 2 years (2000-02).

PAST MATCHUPS

Win-loss record: 23-0
Game of 2021-22 season:

13-Feb-2022. CSKA – Astana: 84-65 (+19)

SHORT DOSSIER

BC Astana (Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan)
Founded: 2000
Colors: yellow, blue
Home court: SC Velotrack/Saryarka (9,270), Baluan Sholak Sports Palace (3725).
President: Valery Tikhonenko
Head coach: Dejan Parezanin
Website: pbcastana.kz
Trophy case: 9-time Kazakhstan champion (2012-15, 17-21), 9-time Kazakhstan Cup winner (2011-14,17-21), FIBA Asian Champions Cup bronze winner (2017).