12.01.2021
Our team starts the EuroLeague double week with the classical matchup. Zalgiris Kaunas visits Moscow...
Now the opponent has a streak

PRE-GAME BREAKDOWN

Second game vs Zalgiris this season appears to be the first of two on the EuroLeague week. It was the double-trip in the first leg, now the Army Men are scheduled to play two home games in a row.

The Red-Blues lost last week after 12 consecutive victories. Kaunas team stays one of the hottest teams of the tournament with 6-game winning streak.

Dimitris Itoudis used the same players that travelled to Vitoria in preparation for the game, plus CSKA-2 forward Alexander Shashkov who can appear on the team’s EuroLeague roster for the first time. Will Clyburn (ankle), Andrey Lopatin (wrist) and Daniel Hackett (ankle) continue their rehab.

Zalgiris is still missing newcomer Patricio Garino and Steve Vasturia due to injury.

PRE-GAME QUOTES

Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:

Zalgiris is a very competitive team, they have proved it: after the 6-game losing streak they came up with 6 straight wins. They play good and aggressive basketball. This is a team that attacks the basket very strong, they share the ball well, in their last game against Khimki they were close to having 40 assists, with a lot of alley-oops, drive-and-kicks and good three-point percentage.

Ivan Ukhov, CSKA guard:

Our opponent is a very aggressive team that plays fast, with big number of three-point shots, so we have to guard their shooters. We also have to be ready to the fact that they go to rebound really well. If we take care of those components, we will be able to win.

“RELATIVITY” CONNECTIONS

Mike James was a teammate of Zalgiris guard Lukas Lekavicius at Panathinaikos Athens during the 2017-18 season.

Nikola Milutinov and Zalgiris big man Augustine Rubit were teammates last season at Olympiacos Piraeus.

Milutinov and Joffrey Lauvergne of Zalgiris played from 2012 to 2014 for Partizan Belgrade, including the 2013-14 season in the EuroLeague.

Rubit and Daniel Hackett were teammates at Brose Bamberg during the 2017-18 EuroLeague season.

Zalgiris forward Patricio Garino was a teammate of the CSKA trio of Darrun Hilliard, Toko Shengelia and Johannes Voigtmann during the 2018-19 season at Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. He had three seasons with Shengelia (2017-20) and two with Voigtmann (2017-19).

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

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

Mike James has made at least 1 three-point shot in 12 straight and 37 of his last 38 games. He ranks third this season with 2.8 three-point shots made per game.

Mike James needs 5 more three-pointers to reach 300 for his career.

James has scored in double figures in 12 straight and 42 of his last 43 games. He leads the EuroLeague in scoring this season with 20.5 points per game.

James ranks sixth this season with 6.1 assists per game.

James has posted a PIR of at least 19 in 10 straight games. James ranks second this season in average PIR with 21.6 per game and Nikola Milutinov ranks seventh with 16.7 per game.

Milutinov leads the league this season with 8.4 rebounds per game and is the leader in offensive rebounding with 4.3 per game.

In Round 17, Nikola Milutinov smashed the EuroLeague single-game record with 16 offensive rebounds.
Milutinov ranks seventh all-time with 441 offensive rebounds. Jan Vesely of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and former CSKA player Othello Hunter entered Round 19 tied for fifth place with 454 and counting.

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

Darrun Hilliard has made at least 1 three-pointer in 12 of his last 13 games.

Hilliard has made 13 consecutive free throws.

Janis Strelnieks ranks 10th all-time in free-throw accuracy at 90.3%.

PAST MATCHUPS

Wins/losses (since 1999): 26-7

1999-00 – Euroleague. Qualifying Round. Zalgiris – CSKA: 84-76 (-8)
1999-00 – Euroleague. Qualifying Round. CSKA – Zalgiris: 76-64 (+12)
1999-00 – NEBL. Regular Season. Zalgiris – CSKA: 57-60 (+3)
2000-01 – NEBL. Regular Season. CSKA – Zalgiris: 84-71 (+13)
2003-04 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Zalgiris: 90-81 (+9)
2003-04 – Euroleague. Regular Season. Zalgiris – CSKA: 75-78 (+3)
2006-07 – Euroleague. Regular Season. Zalgiris – CSKA: 59-78 (+19)
2006-07 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Zalgiris: 88-72 (+16)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Zalgiris: 78-70 (+8)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Regular Season. Zalgiris – CSKA: 60-88 (+28)
2009-10 – VTB United League. Regular Season. CSKA – Zalgiris: 90-74 (+16)
2009-10 – VTB United League. Regular Season Zalgiris – CSKA: 67-63 (-4)
2009-10 – Euroleague. Top 16. Zalgiris – CSKA: 68-83 (+15)
2009-10 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – Zalgiris: 84-71 (+13)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Regular Season. Zalgiris – CSKA: 74-87 (+13)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Zalgiris: 95-82 (+13)
2012-13 – VTB United League. Regular Season. Zalgiris – CSKA: 76-66 (-10)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Top 16. Zalgiris – CSKA: 73-87 (+13)
2012-13 – VTB United League. Regular Season. CSKA – Zalgiris: 68-74 (-6)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – Zalgiris: 70-61 (+9)
2013-14 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – Zalgiris: 77-62 (+15)
2013-14 – Euroleague. Top 16. Zalgiris – CSKA: 86-88 (+2)
2015-16 – Euroleague. Top 16. Zalgiris – CSKA: 59-94 (+35)
2015-16 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – Zalgiris: 100-86 (+14)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Regular season. CSKA – Zalgiris: 95-86 (+9)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Regular season. Zalgiris – CSKA: 79-74 (-5)
2017-18 – Euroleague. Regular season. CSKA – Zalgiris: 94-91 (+3)
2017-18 – EuroLeague. Regular season. Zalgiris – CSKA: 85-73 (-12)
2017-18 – EuroLeague. 3rd place game. CSKA – Zalgiris: 77-79 (-2)
2018-19 – EuroLeague. Regular season. CSKA – Zalgiris: 99-97 OT (+2)
2018-19 – EuroLeague. Regular season. Zalgiris – CSKA: 79-84 (+5)
2019-20 – EuroLeague. Regular season. CSKA – Zalgiris: 85-82 OT (+3)
2020-21 – EuroLeague. Regular season. Zalgiris – CSKA: 78-87 (+9)

SHORT DOSSIER

Zalgiris Kaunas, Lithuania

Founded: 1944
Colors: green, white
Home court: Zalgirio Arena (15.000 зрителей)
President: Paulius Motejunas
Head coach: Martin Schiller
Website: www.zalgiris.lt
Trophy case: Euroleague champion (1999), 32-time Lithuanian champion (1946, 1950, 1952-55, 1958, 1991-99, 2001, 2003-05, 2007-08, 2011-19), 4-time Baltic League champion (2005, 2008, 2011, 2012), NEBL champion (1999), 7-time Lithuanian Federation Cup winner (2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018), Intercontinental Cup winner (1986), 4-time USSR champion (1951, 1985, 1986, 1987), USSR Cup winner (1953)

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