Motivation is here

Our team went to Kaunas by Aeroflot charter for the last away game of the EuroLeague Regular Season.

Pre-game breakdown

Last meeting of the teams brought the long-sought victory to Kaunas side. In January on Zalgirio Arena floor Lithuanians took their first ever EuroLeague win against CSKA.

Pavel Korobkov (foot) and Mikhail Kulagin (foot) remain out for the Army Men.

Aaron White is doubtful and will be a game-time decision against CSKA.

Pre-game quotes

Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:

Definitely Zalgiris is one of the teams that are chasing the best possible spot in the playoff picture. They play solid throughout the season, they will be highly motivated in remaining games and they will get boosted by sold-out crowd as usually. We expect a tough game in great atmosphere. We know what it’s like to play there. We also will be highly motivated to play serious. We show this approach for many years and we proved it once again in our recent game against Khimki.

Leo Westermann, CSKA guard:

Zalgiris is playing really well this season. The upcoming game is very important for them, both because of history and tournament perspectives. It is going to be great game, great fight in front of great crowd. We are ready for it and look forward to playing there.

“Relativity” connections

Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius played 4 seasons for Panathinaikos (2007-10, 11-12) when Dimitris Itoudis and Andreas Pistiolis were on the coaching staff.

Leo Westermann played at Zalgiris Kaunas last season, and was a teammate of most current Zalgiris players, and played under Coach Sarunas Jasikevicius.

Vitaly Fridzon was a teammate of Paulius Jankunas at Khimki Moscow Region in the 2009-10 season.

Important numbers

Coach Dimitris Itoudis has used 11 different players in the CSKA starting lineup so far this season. No player has started every game.

Nando De Colo has scored in double figures in 13 of his last 14 EuroLeague games. He has made at least 1 three-pointer in each of his last five games.

Nando De Colo is ranked second among qualified EuroLeague players this season in average performance index rating with 20.5 per game, second in scoring with 17.1 points per game, third in three-point shooting percentage at 51.6%.

De Colo is the EuroLeague career leader in free throw accuracy at 93.53%.

Cory Higgins has scored in double figures in 11 of his last 12 EuroLeague games.

Higgins has recorded a performance index rating in double figures in 12 of his last 13 EuroLeague games.

Nikita Kurbanov has made 19 consecutive free throws in EuroLeague games.

Sergio Rodriguez is second in the EuroLeague this season with 2.7 three-pointers made per game.

Sergio Rodriguez is seventh on the all-time EuroLeague assists charts with 894. Next on the list is his former Real Madrid teammate Sergio Llull with 902.

Kyle Hines has became third on the all-time EuroLeague charts with 440 offensive rebounds for his career.

Hines is fourth all-time with 180 career blocks. Anadolu Efes center Bryant Dunston is third with 185 blocks and counting.

Othello Hunter is fifth in the league in offensive rebounds with 2.5 per game.

Khryapa is ranked eighth on the all-time charts with 241 career steals. Khryapa’s former teammate J.R. Holden is seventh with 247.

Khryapa is seventh on the all-time charts with 161 blocks for his career. He needs 1 more to catch Mirza Begic, who has 162 in sixth place.

Past matchups

Wins/losses (since 1999): 22-5

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)

Short dossier

Zalgiris Kaunas, Lithuania
Founded: 1944
Colors: green, white
Home court: Zalgirio Arena (15.000 зрителей)
Director: Paulius Motejunas
Head coach: Sarunas Jasikevicius
Website: www.zalgiris.lt
Trophy case: Euroleague champion (1999), 30-time Lithuanian champion (1946, 1950, 1952-55, 1958, 1991-99, 2001, 2003-05, 2007-08, 2011-17), 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