Avtodor — CSKA, 08 March 2025

To be focused

It just so happened that both visits to Saratov for the team fell on holidays. The first away game took place on December 25, on Christmas, and became the most high-scoring (at that time) for CSKA this season. The red-blues will play the second on March 8. We hope that it will be no less spectacular and successful.

The team has a couple of bright victories over the past week and is in a good mood. Today, the Muscovites in full force held a morning training session in Krylatskoye, and at lunchtime they flew to Saratov by the Aeroflot regular flight.

"We need to forget about the results of the previous couple of meetings with Avtodor," said CSKA head coach Andreas Pistiolis. "This is a serious and very dangerous team. To win, we need to be one hundred percent collected."

With a Turkish accent

Indeed, the teams' previous two games ended in routs. But in the first, Avtodor fought for three quarters, losing to the Muscovites only in the final stretch.

After the meeting in January, the Saratov team played seven games winning four of them, including all three at home. Center Kerem Kanter, who joined the team during the season and became the team's leader in scoring and rebounds (13.9 points, 66.1% of two-pointers, 5.9 rebounds), is playing an increasingly important role in the offense of the black-and-white team. At the same time, playmaker Caleb Agada remains a key figure in both the organization of the offense and the defense (12.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.4 steals).

In general, the five leaders of the Saratov team in scoring are all foreigners. That includes Bryant Crawford (13.7 points, 4.2 assists), Dusan Beslac (11.6 points, 4.4 rebounds) and Jamal Jones (11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds).

Past matchups

Wins/losses: 69-16
Game of 2023-24 VTB League season:

23-Oct-2024. CSKA – Avtodor: 85-74 (+11)
25-Dec-2024. Avtodor – CSKA: 65-112 (+47)
22-Jan-2025. CSKA – Avtodor: 108-83 (+25)

Brief dossier

Avtodor Saratov

Founded: 1960
Colors: black, white
Home court: Kristall Ice Palace (5,500)
President: Oleg Rodionov
Head coach: Milenko Bogicevic
Website: www.avtodor.ru
Trophy case: 4-time Russian League runner-up (1994, 97, 98, 99), 2-time Russian League bronze winner (1992, 96), EuroCup semifinalist (1998), Superleague A champion (1997, 98), Superleague B champion (2009), Superleague champion (2013/14)