Hotel stay on the way

Our team went to the EuroLeague game against brose Bamberg.

Pre-game breakdown

Leo Westermann (hip) continues his post-surgery rehab. Andrey Vorontsevich (ankle) and Othello Hunter (hip) also stayed in Moscow.

Pavel Korobkov is added to the team’s roster for the tournament. It can be his first EuroLeague game after the golden final in Berlin – i.e. after 19-month absence.

Alexander Gankevich helped the main team in its practices because of lack of injured big men. The young center was returned from the second team’s Siberian trip.

The Army Men Aeroflot charter flight to Nuremberg was delayed for 1 hour because of weather conditions in Sheremetyevo.

The Red-Blues did not go to Bamberg on the same day again. The team stays in the hotel of city of Erlangen, close to Nuremberg.

Pre-game quotes

Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:

Bamberg is a team that plays with toughness, athleticism, character and big wish. They play aggressive basketball on both sides of the floor, so we should expect it to be a tough game. We have to be focused on what we are doing.

Kyle Hines, CSKA center:

For us as a team it will be an important road game. Bamberg plays really well at home with great atmosphere. Obviously, it is a special place for me, the city where I started my EuroLeague career. It will be great to come back there another time and see my friends, many familiar faces. As for the game, we have to match the opponents’ intensity. They are coming off tough road loss to Khimki so they will play with additional desire and we have to be ready for that.

“Relativity” connections

Kyle Hines began his Euroleague career with Brose Baskets Bamberg during the 2010-11 season. He helped Bamberg to the German League and Cup double that season.

Hines is the old-time friend to Bamberg guard Ricky Hickman – they played together for three years (2004-07) for UNC Greensboro.

Nikos Zisis played two seasons for CSKA between 2007 and 2009. Only forwards Victor Khryapa, Andrey Vorontsevich and Nikita Kurbanov remain from his time at the club. Together they won the Euroleague in 2008.

Nikita Kurbanov played under Bamberg Coach Andrea Trinchieri, and alongside Nikos Zisis at Unics in the 2013-14 season. They reached the EuroCup final together.

Othello Hunter was a teammate of Brose Bamberg’s Daniel Hackett for the first part of the 2013-14 campaign at Montepaschi Siena.

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.

Kyle Hines has not missed a EuroLeague game since January 2014 and appeared in 121 consecutive games for CSKA in that span.

Kyle Hines has blocked at least 1 shot in six straight EuroLeague games. He is tied for third in the EuroLeague in this category with 1.2 per game. Kyle is also tied for second with 1.6 steals per game.

Nando De Colo has scored in double figures and posted a performance index rating of at least 10 in each of his last seven EuroLeague games. He also has recorded at least 1 steal in eight straight EuroLeague games.

De Colo is ranked second among qualified EuroLeague players this season in average performance index rating with 20.5 per game, fourth in scoring with 16.3 points, second in three-point shooting at 52.0%, tied for fifth with 1.5 steals per contest. He also leads the league in free-throw accuracy with 97.1% this season and all-time (93.59%).

Cory Higgins has scored in double figures in each of his last five EuroLeague games.

Higgins has made at least 1 three-pointer in 10 of his last 11 EuroLeague games.

Sergio Rodriguez has made multiple three-pointers in each of his last four EuroLeague games. He is tied for the EuroLeague lead with this season with 2.5 three-pointers per game.

El Chacho is tied with Pablo Prigioni for eighth place on the all-time EuroLeague assists charts with 804. Bamberg’s Nikos Zisis is seventh with 834 and counting.

Othello Hunter is ranked fourth in the EuroLeague in rebounding with 6.4 per game this season. He leads the league in offensive rebounds with 3.5 per game.

Rodriguez needs 7 more three-pointers to reach 250 for his EuroLeague career.

Vitaly Fridzon needs 2 more three-pointers to reach 200 for his EuroLeague career.

Khryapa is ranked eighth on the all-time charts with 240 career steals. Real Madrid’s Jonas Maciulis and Barcelona’s Juan Carlos Navarro are tied for sixth with 243 and counting.

Khryapa is ranked fifth on the all-time charts with 161 blocks total for his career. He needs 1 more to catch Mirza Begic (162) for fourth place.

Past matchups

Wins/losses: 12-1.
2005-06 – Euroleague. Top 16: Brose Baskets – CSKA: 64-75 (+11)
2005-06 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – Brose Baskets: 76-64 (+12)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Regular Season: CSKA – Brose Baskets: 94-74 (+20)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Regular Season: Brose Baskets – CSKA: 78-81 (+3)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Regular Season: CSKA – Brose Baskets: 76-67 (+9)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Regular Season: Brose Baskets – CSKA: 89-97 (+8)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – Brose Baskets: 90-83 (+7)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Top 16: Brose Baskets – CSKA: 58-78 (+20)
2015-16 – Euroleague. Regular Season: CSKA – Brose Baskets: 83-77 (+6)
2015-16 – Euroleague. Regular Season: Brose Baskets – CSKA: 88-100 (+12)
2015-16 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – Brose Baskets: 91-70 (+21)
2015-16 – Euroleague. Top 16: Brose Baskets – CSKA: 91-83 (-8)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Regular Season: Brose Bamberg – CSKA: 88-90 (+2)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Regular Season: CSKA – Brose Bamberg: 85-64 (+21)

Short dossier

Brose Bamberg, Germany
Founded: 1955
Colors: red, white
Homecourt: brose Arena (6,900)
President: Norbert Sieben
Head coach: Andrea Trinchieri
Website: www.brosebaskets.de
Trophy case: 9-time German champion (2005, 07, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17), 5-time German Cup winner (1992, 2010, 11, 12, 17)