Time to work on mistakes
PRE-GAME BREAKDOWN
The Army Men start “German” EuroLeague double-week. After the visit to Berlin the team will get back to Moscow to clash with Bayern Munich on Friday.
The work on mistakes will be done shorthanded again. Mike James will not play due to the club’s decision. Andrey Lopatin continues to recover after hand injury. Daniil Kochergin is added to the roster on Monday, he took the trip with the team.
PRE-GAME QUOTES
Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:
Alba is a very competitive team, they play great basketball. They play the same way regardless of situations in the game, with high pace. We are talking about the team that has 8 players averaging 9 points or more points, so everybody can contribute scoring-wise, creation-wise. Definitely they play with big effort and high intensity. Overall, it's tough opponent to play against.
Joel Bolomboy, CSKA center:
It's a tough game for us, we gonna come in ready. Especially after couple of last games they gonna come and play hard, compete. Every second will be a dog fight. We were preparing, practicing, so we will come ready to play.
CLOSE RELATIONS
ALBA big man Johannes Thiemann and CSKA sharpshooter Janis Strelnieks were teammates at Brose Bamberg during the 2014-15 season.
Daniel Hackett and ALBA’s Maodo Lo and Louis Olinde were teammates at Brose Bamberg during the 2017-18 season.
ALBA's Simone Fontecchio and Mike James were teammates at AX Armani Exchange Milan during the 2018-19 season.
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
Ten different players have appeared in CSKA's starting lineups so far this season. Only Nikita Kurbanov has started every game.
Mike James has scored in double figures in 15 straight and 45 of his last 46 games. He leads the EuroLeague in scoring this season with 20.0 points per game.
James has made at least 1 three-point shot in 15 straight and 40 of his last 41 games. He ranks fourth this season with 2.7 three-point shots made per game.
James ranks sixth this season with 5.8 assists per game.
James has posted a PIR of at least 19 in 12 of his last 13 games. James ranks second this season in average PIR with 20.6 per game and Nikola Milutinov ranks fifth with 17.6 per game.
Nikola Milutinov has posted a PIR in double figures in 12 of his last 13 games.
Milutinov has scored in double figures in eight of his last nine games.
Nikola Milutinov leads the league this season with 8.5 rebounds and 4.3 offensive rebounds per game.
In Round 17, Nikola Milutinov smashed the EuroLeague single-game record with 16 offensive rebounds.
Milutinov ranks seventh all-time with 454 offensive rebounds. Jan Vesely of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is sixth with 459 and counting.
Toko Shengelia has posted a PIR in double figures in seven straight games.
Will Clyburn has made at least 1 three-pointer in eight of his last nine games.
Darrun Hilliard has made 18 consecutive free throws.
Janis Strelnieks ranks ninth all-time in free-throw accuracy at 90.34%.
PAST MATCHUPS
Wins/losses: 8-6
1996-97 – Euroleague. Qualification Round: CSKA – ALBA: 67-69 (-2)
1996-97 – Euroleague. Qualification Round: ALBA – CSKA: 78-76 (-2)
1998-99 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round: ALBA – CSKA: 63-70 (+7)
1998-99 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round: CSKA – ALBA: 86-75 (+11)
1999-00 – Euroleague. Qualification Round: CSKA – ALBA: 71-76 (-5)
1999-00 – Euroleague. Qualification Round: ALBA – CSKA: 81-76 (-5)
2000-01 – Euroleague. Qualification Round: ALBA – CSKA: 80-77 (-3)
2000-01 – Euroleague. Qualification Round: CSKA – ALBA: 89-86 (+3)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Top 16. ALBA – CSKA: 57-75 (+18)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – ALBA: 80-65 (+15)
2013-14 – Euroleague. Regular Season. ALBA – CSKA: 68-84 (+16)
2013-14 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – ALBA: 95-66 (+29)
2019-20 – Euroleague. Regular Season. ALBA – CSKA: 66-82 (+16)
2020-21 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – ALBA: 88-93 (-5)
SHORT DOSSIER
ALBA Berlin, Germany
Founded: 1989
Colors: dark-blue, yellow
Homecourt: Mercedes-Benz Arena (16,000)
Supervisory Board: Dr. Axel Schweitzer, Dieter Hauert
CEO: Marco Baldi
Head coach: Aito Reneses
Website: www.albaberlin.de
Accomplishments: Korac Cup winner (1995); 9-time German champion (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2020); 10-time German Cup winner (1997, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020).
