“The only thing that you have to expect is to play very competitive games,” CSKA head coach Dimitris Itoudis said. “We are 2-0 up and that gives us good advantage but not the place in the Final Four. We want to go there and fight like lions, to overcome all the obstacles that they may try to put on us. We know the mission is not going to be easy but we do have the players, the character, the courage and the wish to go there and qualify.”
15 players (with exception of Pavel Korobkov) travelled to Vitoria.
Important numbers
Coach Dimitris Itoudis has used 14 different players in his starting lineups so far this season; no player has started every game. Mikhail Kulagin is the only CSKA player to have appeared in a game this season without starting at least one.
Next time he enters the game, Nando De Colo will make his EuroLeague appearance number 100.
Nando De Colo has recorded a performance index rating in double figures in 16 of his last 17 EuroLeague games. He has scored in double figures in 17 straight and 28 of his last 29 games.
Nando De Colo was the EuroLeague regular season leader in average performance index rating with 22.7.
De Colo finished the regular season ranked second in scoring with 20.1 points per game.
De Colo is ranked first in EuroLeague history in free throw accuracy. He has made 93.33% of his free throws.
Milos Teodosic has moved up to third place on the all-time scoring charts with 2,764 points. Vassilis Spanoulis is second with 3,322 points.
Milos Teodosic has hit at least 1 three-pointer in 23 of his last 24 EuroLeague games.
Teodosic is in third place all-time in assists with 1,115. Vassilis Spanoulis is second with 1,121 career assists.
Teodosic and Vassilis Spanoulis of Olympiacos, who ranked first and second in assists, respectively, during the regular season, share the top spot on the playoffs leaderboard with 6.5 per game.
Teodosic finished the EuroLeague regular season ranked first with 7.2 assists per game.
Teodosic was fifth in the EuroLeague this regular season with an index rating of 17.5.
Teodosic leads the EuroLeague this season with 71 three-pointers made.
James Augustine leads the playoffs with 3 steals per game.
Victor Khryapa has 158 blocked shots in his EuroLeague career. He is fifth on the all-time list. Kyle Hines is sixth with 154 blocks. Stephane Lasme is ranked fourth with 160 career rejections.
Khryapa is eighth on the all-time EuroLeague charts with 236 steals. Real Madrid forward Jonas Maciulis is seventh with 238 and counting.
Aaron Jackson is 3 triples shy of reaching the century mark for his EuroLeague career.
Joel Freeland needs 3 offensive rebounds to reach the century mark for his EuroLeague career.
Andrey Vorontsevich needs 2 steals to reach the century mark for his EuroLeague career.
Vorontsevich needs 5 offensive rebounds to reach 200 for his EuroLeague career.
Past matchups
Wins-losses: 23-7
2001-02 – Euroleague. Top 16: TAU Ceramica – CSKA: 73-87 (+14)
2001-02 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – TAU Ceramica: 73-90 (-17)
2003-04 – Euroleague. Top 16: TAU Ceramica – CSKA: 77-80 (+3)
2003-04 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – TAU Ceramica: 84-82 (+2)
2004-05 – Euroleague. Regular season: CSKA – TAU Ceramica: 88-83 (+5)
2004-05 – Euroleague. Regular season: TAU Ceramica – CSKA: 81-85 (+4)
2004-05 – Euroleague. Final Four. Semifinal: CSKA – TAU Ceramica: 78-85 (-7)
2005-06 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – TAU Ceramica: 82-76 (+6)
2005-06 – Euroleague. Top 16: TAU Ceramica – CSKA: 70-63 (-7)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Regular season: TAU Ceramica – CSKA: 76-85 (+9)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Regular season: CSKA – TAU Ceramica: 70-62 (+8)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Final Four. Semifinal: TAU Ceramica – CSKA: 79-83 (+4)
2009-10 – Euroleague. Regular season: Caja Laboral – CSKA: 67-71 (+4)
2009-10 – Euroleague. Regular season: CSKA – Caja Laboral: 84-83 (+1)
2009-10 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals: CSKA – Caja Laboral: 86-63 (+23)
2009-10 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals: CSKA – Caja Laboral: 83-63 (+20)
2009-10 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals: Caja Laboral – CSKA: 66-53 (-13)
2009-10 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals: Caja Laboral – CSKA: 70-74 (+4)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals: CSKA – Caja Laboral: 89-78 (+11)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals: CSKA – Caja Laboral: 90-68 (+22)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals: Caja Laboral – CSKA: 93-72 (-21)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals: Caja Laboral – CSKA: 85-94 (+9)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – Laboral Kutxa: 99-90 (+9)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Top 16: Laboral Kutxa – CSKA: 74-81 (+7)
2015-16 – Euroleague. Top 16: Laboral Kutxa – CSKA: 81-71 (-10)
2015-16 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – Laboral Kutxa: 90-78 (+12)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Regular Season: CSKA – Baskonia: 112-84 (+28)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Regular Season: Baskonia – CSKA: 79-78 (-1)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals: CSKA – Caja Laboral: 98-90 (+8)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals: CSKA – Caja Laboral: 84-82 (+2)
Short dossier
Baskonia Vitoria, Spain
Founded: 1959
Colors: red, dark blue, white
Home arena: Fernando Buesa Arena (15,504)
President: Jose Antonio Querejeta
Head coach: Alfonso “Sito” Alonso
Website: www.baskonia.com
Trophy case: 2-time Spanish champion (2002, 08); 5-time Copa del Rey winner (1995, 99, 2002, 04, 06); 4-time Spanish SuperCup winner (2005, 06, 07, 08); Saporta Cup winner (1996)
