CSKA — UNICS, 02 June 2026

By a small margin

The CSKA-Kazan encounters are a true highlight of the season. In the VTB League regular championship face-to-face matchup, the teams were tied, with the Muscovites slightly ahead in points scored and allowed. Moreover, both teams won exclusively at home – which is why it's so crucial to capitalize on the home-court advantage earned in the regular season.

The only game that has so far tipped the balance in CSKA's favor in the season series is the WINLINE Basket Cup final at a neutral venue in St. Petersburg. There, the red-and-blues performed almost perfectly: the team immediately seized the initiative and increased their lead to 19 early in the fourth quarter, then relaxed slightly in the remaining time, allowing their opponents to close the gap. This didn't stop the Muscovites from winning their first-ever intra-season tournament trophy.

Honor that work!

Our team cruised through the first two rounds of the playoffs with confidence. Yenisey was swept clean, and even the loss to Lokomotiv-Kuban early in the semifinals didn't faze anyone: it proved beneficial and had a very positive impact on the Army Men's spirit, who confidently won all four of their subsequent games.

The early end of the series against Krasnodar meant a fairly lengthy pause before the final, while the other pairing was fiercely contested. The work was ultimately divided into two cycles. After two days off, the red-blues trained at full strength for three days, learned their opponent on Thursday evening, rested again on Friday, and then began preparing for their meeting with Kazan.

“We've reached the pinnacle of this season,” said CSKA head coach Andreas Pistiolis. “Two teams, the strongest the competition has to offer, now face each other where it matters most — in the final. Unics have earned their spot, and this series will be exactly what you'd expect when the best meet: intense, physical, and unforgiving. We built our home court advantage through discipline and sacrifice over months of competition. Now we call on our fans to honor that work. Pack the arena, bring the energy, and help us turn home court into our greatest weapon.”

A phenomenal comeback

For UNICS, the semifinals, meanwhile, proved a true test. During the series, Dyshawn Pierre was sidelined due to injury (likely for the rest of the season), and Jalen Reynolds suffered a rather severe knee injury (he didn't miss a single game, but looked significantly below his abilities in a couple of games). Against this backdrop, the team trailed 3-1, losing Game 4 by 29, and it seemed the St. Petersburg team would win the series. But Velimir Perasovic's team achieved the near-impossible: they won three games in a row and again reached the final.

Despite a slight slump, Reynolds remains the greens' offensive driving force (16.9 points, 5.8 rebounds in 10 playoff games). Meanwhile, Marcus Bingham has been truly phenomenal in recent games. His postseason averages may not be as impressive (14.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 1.5 steals), but he absolutely carried the team into the decisive phase. He defends at all positions, hits deep shots off the dribble and step-backs, and finally, in Game 7, he posted a double-double (12 points, 11 rebounds) with 5 blocks! It's not yet clear whether Alexey Shved (7.8 points, 4.0 assists in the playoffs), who missed the second half of Game 7 due to injury, will be able to help the Tatarstan team. However, experienced former CSKA player Mikhail Kulagin, who joined from Samara at the end of the season, has been performing well in crucial moments. He defended tenaciously against Zenit's fast guards and helped offensively, taking some of the load off his brother, Dmitriy Kulagin (9.2 points), and Paris Lee (9.8 points, 5.1 assists).

Past matchups

Historically and statistically, UNICS is one of CSKA's most favorable opponents in the playoffs. Before 2026, the teams met 12 times in the postseason, including seven in the finals. The Muscovites have never let Kazan get the better of them, winning 19 of 21 games in the VTB League and 14 of 16 in the Russian Superleague.

However, there are some key factors in Kazan's favor. First, they've never lost a Game 7 in a series, indicating they've traditionally shown character. Second, they lost to the Red-Blues in the WINLINE Basket Cup final without Paris Lee and Marcus Bingham, who started but was immediately benched due to illness.

So, we're expecting a fiery series.

Wins-losses: 99-30

CSKA biggest margin of victory: 102-54 (+48) (1997-98 Russian Championship. Quarterfinal)
UNICS biggest margin of victory: 113-77 (-36) (2000-01 Russian Superleague. Regular season. 2nd stage)

Game of 2025-26 VTB League Season:

Regular season

25-Oct-2025. CSKA – UNICS: 86-75 (+11)
15-Nov-2025. UNICS – CSKA: 76-75 (-1)
01-Feb-2026. CSKA – UNICS: 84-80 (+4)
15-Mar-2026. UNICS – CSKA: 86-80 (-6)

WINLINE Basket Cup final

12-Apr-2026. CSKA – UNICS: 73-62 (+11)

Brief dossier

UNICS Kazan

Founded: 1991
Color: green, black, white
Home court: Basket Hall (7,500)
President: Evgeny Bogachev
Head coach: Velimir Perasovic
Website: www.unics.ru
Trophy case:
- EuroCup winner (2011);
- FIBA Europe League winner (2004);
- VTB League and Russian champion (2023);
- 5-time VTB United League runner-up (2010, 2012, 2016, 2021, 2024);
- 3- time VTB United League bronze winner (2014, 2022, 2025);
- 9-time Russian League runner-up (2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2021, 2024);
- 8-time Russian League bronze winner (2000, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2022, 2025);
- NEBL champion (2003);
- WINLINE Basket Cup runner-up (2026);
- 3-time Russian Cup winner (2003, 2009, 2014);
- 3-Russian Cup runner-up (2005, 2007, 2010)