On the road again

Our team starts the second leg of the EuroLeague regular season with the visit to Zalgiris Kaunas.

Pre-game breakdown

The red-blues got just one day off to celebrate the New Year and continued working within the usual schedule.

There are no injuries on CSKA side. The coaching staff decided to leave youngsters Ivan Ukhov and Andrey Lopatin in Moscow.

Paulius Jankunas and Antanas Kavaliauskas are likely to miss the game. Former Army Man Leo Westermann is sidelined by knee injury.

Interesting fact: Nando De Colo has twice earned MVP of the Round honors from games he played against Zalgiris. The came in Top 16 Round 13 of the 2015-16 season when he tallied 26 points on just 11 shots, making 3 of 4 three-pointers and all 7 of his free throws for a performance index rating of 35. In Round 5 of last season, De Colo recorded a career-best index rating of 37 in a 94-91 home win with 25 points and 10 assists.

The Army Men lost three games in a row to Kaunas side in 2018 – in the end of the EuroLeague regular season, in the third place game and pre-season game in Turkey – before winning at home in overtime thriller in October.

Pre-game quotes

Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:

First of all, Happy New Year to everyone. We start the 2019 with the game against a very good team, which always receives great boost from the crowd in Kaunas. They play aggressively offensively and defensively. We have to play with the highest level of concentration throughout all 40 minutes.

Mikhail Kulagin, CSKA guard:

The games against Zalgiris are always very interesting. They are a Final Four team which is able to beat any opponent in the league, so we have to be aware and ready. We have to stick to the plan and stay focused on every little detail.

“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 for CSKA last season.

Important numbers

Coach Itoudis has used 11 different players in CSKA’s starting lineups this season; no player has started in every EuroLeague game.

Cory Higgins has scored in double figures in 21 of his last 22 EuroLeague games.

Cory Higgins is ranked third in scoring this season with 15.6 points per game.

Higgins has made at least 1 three-pointer in 10 straight EuroLeague games.

Alec Peters has made at least 1 three-pointer in 12 of his last 13 EuroLeague games.

Alec Peters ranks second in the league in three-point accuracy this season at 56.6% and Cory Higgins is third at 56.3%.

Will Clyburn has scored at least 10 points in 11 straight EuroLeague games.

Clyburn has collected at least 1 steal in 11 of CSKA’s last 12 EuroLeague games.

Will Clyburn is third in the league this season in average PIR with 20.4 per game.

Will Clyburn ranks third in the league this season in rebounding with 7.2 per game.

Nando De Colo has made 12 straight free throws in EuroLeague games.

Nando De Colo leads the league in free throw accuracy this season at 95.5%

De Colo is the EuroLeague career leader in free throw accuracy at 93.78%.

Kyle Hines is tied with Ioannis Bourousis for third in EuroLeague history with 194 blocked shots. Bryant Dunston is second with 205 and counting.

Hines is third in EuroLeague history with 471 offensive rebounds.

Hines is ranked 11th in competition history with 1,071 rebounds. Mike Batiste is 10th with 1,117.
Sergio Rodriguez ranks fifth all-time with 1,003 assists for his career. Barcelona point guard Thomas Heurtel is fourth with 1,082 career assists and counting.

Past matchups

Wins/losses (since 1999): 23-7

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)

Short dossier

Zalgiris Kaunas, Lithuania
Founded: 1944
Colors: green, white
Home court: Zalgirio Arena (15.000 зрителей)
President: Paulius Motejunas
Head coach: Sarunas Jasikevicius
Website: www.zalgiris.lt
Trophy case: Euroleague champion (1999), 31-time Lithuanian champion (1946, 1950, 1952-55, 1958, 1991-99, 2001, 2003-05, 2007-08, 2011-18), 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