Testing by the leader

For the second consecutive week our team will play two away games in a row. The trip starts in Barcelona.

Pre-game breakdown

After the battle in the Catalan capitol CSKA will travel to Kazan for the VTB League game against UNICS.

Mikhail Kulagin participated in the practice before the trip to Spain. Though the Russian National Team guard stayed home to continue getting back into shape with the second team. Youngsters Andrey Lopatin and Alexander Khomenko stayed in Moscow as well. Lopatin will join his teammates in Kazan.

Barcelona will miss injured Thomas Heurtel.

Pre-game quotes

Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach

We play against very good team. I can say it about any season, but this year they are even more ambitious, they have many points of emphasis and they are leading EuroLeague right now.

Andrey Vorontsevich, CSKA forward:

Our opponents have well-balanced team with many good players on every position. They play well recently and they will try to use their homecourt advantage. Barcelona can attack from inside and outside, they run the floor. The keys for us will be to fight on the boards, to be ready for physical game, to stop their fast breaks and limit the shooters.

“Relativity” connections

Cory Higgins faces his former team, CSKA Moscow, for which he played the last four years – his first four in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. He helped CSKA win two titles in and will now face many of his former teammates.

Johannes Voigtmann and Adam Hanga of FC Barcelona were teammates at Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz during the 2016-17 season.

Mike James was a teammate of Barcelona’s Adam Hanga at Baskonia during the 2015-16 season. They reached the 2016 Final Four together.

James and Barcelona point guard Thomas Heurtel were briefly teammates at Baskonia in December 2014.

Important numbers

James has scored in double figures in each of his last eight games. He ranks fourth this season with 19.1 points per game and fifth in average PIR with 19.7 per game.

Mike James has made at least 1 three-point shot in 10 of his last 11 games.

James is tied for third this season with 2.7 three-point shots made per game, and Darrun Hilliard is tied for fifth with 2.6 per game.

Darrun Hilliard has made at least 1 three-point shot in nine of 10 games this season.

Nikita Kurbanov ranks fifth this season in three-point accuracy at 55.0%.

Kyle Hines ranks third all-time with 216 blocks.

Hines ranks second all-time with 528 offensive rebounds. Felipe Reyes is the all-time leader with 695.

Hines ranks eighth all-time with 1,185 rebounds. Kerem Gonlum is seventh with 1,189.

Janis Strelnieks has made 12 consecutive free throws.

Janis Strelnieks ranks sixth all-time in free-throw accuracy at 91.12%.

Past matchups

Win-loss record: 19-14

Short dossier

Barcelona, Spain
Founded: 1926
Colors: balaustine, violet, gold
Home court: Palau Blaugrana (8,250)
President: Josep Maria Bartomeu
Head coach: Svetislav Pesic
Website: www.fcbarcelona.cat
Trophy case:
- 2-time Euroleague champion (2003, 2010);
- 2-time Saporta Cup winner (1985, 1986);
- 2-time Korac Cup winner (1987, 1999);
- 18-time Spanish champion (1959, 1981, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014);
- 25-time Copa Del Rey winner (1943, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1959, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1994, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2018, 2019)
- 6-time Spanish Supercup winner (1988, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015)