Pre-game breakdown
The Army Men lead the league in scoring (90.1), Oly – in points allowed (72.7).
Leo Westermann continues his post-surgery rehab. Andrey Vorontsevich (ankle) and Othello Hunter (hip) missed three previous EuroLeague games. Vorontsevich arrived in Athens with the team, the coaches will decide on using him on the game day.
Olympiacos forward Dimitris Agravanis is likely out for the season with an ACL injury.
Pre-game quotes
Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:
Another tough road game for us. Olympiacos plays at home, they will have extra energy from their fans. We have to match their aggressiveness and stay focused throughout the game.
Cory Higgins, CSKA guard:
It is always a big game when we play Olympiacos. They play with a lot of heart especially at home, they will have a support from their fans. So it’s going to be a big game again and we have to be ready for a fight. They have a lot of players to be focused on. It is going to be a whole team effort. Last time we played them we lost so we want to go there, play a good game and get a win.
“Relativity” connections
Olympiacos coach Giannis Sfairopoulos was an assistant coach with CSKA Moscow during the 2011-12 season, during which CSKA reached the EuroLeague championship game, but lost to Olympiacos. Three current CSKA players remain from that squad: Nikita Kurbanov, Andrey Vorontsevich and Victor Khryapa.
Kyle Hines spent two seasons with Olympiacos from 2011 through 2013 and helped the Reds win back-to-back Euroleague titles. He was a teammate there of four current Olympiacos players: Vassilis Spanoulis, Georgios Printezis, Kostas Papanikolaou and Vangelis Mantzaris.
Spanoulis spent four seasons (2005-06, 2007-10) with Panathinaikos when Dimitris Itoudis and Andreas Pistiolis worked on the team’s coaching staff.
Leo Westermann and Olympiacos forward Kim Tillie were teammates at ASVEL Villerbaunne for two seasons, from 2010 to 2012. The two also teamed up playing for the French national team.
Westermann and Olympiacos center Nikola Milutinov were teammates at Partizan Belgrade for two seasons, from 2012 through 2014.
Othello Hunter played with Olympiacos for two seasons, from 2014 to 2016, and was a teammate of most players on the Reds’ current roster.
CSKA forward Nikita Kurbanov was a teammate with Olympiacos sharpshooter Janis Strelnieks; the two played together at Spartak St. Petersburg during the 2012-13 season.
Olympiacos guard Brian Roberts and Hines were teammates at Brose Bamberg during the 2010-11 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 and posted a performance index rating of at least 10 in each of his last nine EuroLeague games.
De Colo has recorded at least 1 steal in 10 straight EuroLeague games.
Nando De Colo is ranked second among qualified EuroLeague players this season in average performance index rating with 21.8 per game. He is third in the EuroLeague in scoring with 17.4 points per contest this season, third in three-point shooting at 54.6% this season and first in free-throw accuracy with 93.5%. De Colo is the EuroLeague career leader in free-throw accuracy at 93.35%.
De Colo and Kyle Hines are tied for third in the EuroLeague this season with 1.6 steals per game.
Hines has not missed a EuroLeague game since January 2014 and has appeared in 123 consecutive games for CSKA in that span.
Hines has blocked at least 1 shot in seven of his last eight EuroLeague games.
Hines is ranked fifth on the all-time EuroLeague charts with 410 offensive rebounds for his career. He needs 11 more to catch Kerem Gonlum (421) for fourth place.
Othello Hunter is ranked fourth in the EuroLeague in rebounding with 6.4 per game this season. He is second in the league in offensive rebounds with 3.5 per game.
Cory Higgins has scored in double figures in each of his last seven EuroLeague games.
Sergio Rodriguez has made multiple three-pointers in each of his last six EuroLeague games. He is second in the tournament this season with 2.8 three-pointers per game.
Sergio Rodriguez is eighth on the all-time EuroLeague assists charts with 822. Brose Bamberg’s Nikos Zisis is seventh with 838 and counting.
Vitaly Fridzon needs 2 more three-pointers to reach 200 for his EuroLeague career.
Victor Khryapa is ranked eighth on the all-time charts with 240 career steals. Real Madrid’s Jonas Maciulis is seventh with 243 and counting.
Khryapa is tied for fifth with Maccabi’s Alex Tyus on the all-time charts with 161 blocks for his career. He needs 1 more to catch Mirza Begic (162) for fourth place.
Past matchups
Wins/losses: 21-13
1994-95 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Quarterfinals. CSKA – Olympiacos: 95-65 (+30)
1994-95 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Quarterfinals. Olympiacos – CSKA: 86-77 (-9)
1994-95 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Quarterfinals. Olympiacos – CSKA: 79-54 (-25)
1995-96 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Semifinal Round. CSKA – Olympiacos: 96-91 (+5)
1995-96 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Semifinal Round. Olympiacos – CSKA: 72-78 (+6)
1996-97 – Euroleague. Qualification Round. Olympiacos – CSKA: 82-51 (-31)
1996-97 – Euroleague. Qualification Round. CSKA – Olympiacos: 70-79 (-9)
1997-98 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round. Olympiacos – CSKA: 86-74 (-12)
1997-98 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round. CSKA – Olympiacos: 77-58 (+19)
1998-99 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round. CSKA – Olympiacos: 75-81 (-6)
1998-99 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round. Olympiacos – CSKA: 74-76 (+2)
2002-03 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Olympiacos: 74-67 (+7)
2002-03 – Euroleague. Regular Season. Olympiacos – CSKA: 77-79 (+2)
2003-04 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – Olympiacos: 80-66 (+14)
2003-04 – Euroleague. Top 16. Olympiacos – CSKA: 69-93 (+24)
2006-07 – Euroleague. Top 16. Olympiacos – CSKA: 64-85 (+21)
2006-07 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – Olympiacos: 83-79 (+4)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Olympiacos: 88-79 (+9)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Regular Season. Olympiacos – CSKA: 71-67 (-4)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals. CSKA – Olympiacos: 74-76 (-2)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals. Olympiacos – CSKA: 73-83 (+10)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals. CSKA – Olympiacos: 81-56 (+25)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Top 16. Olympiacos – CSKA: 78-86 (+8)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – Olympiacos: 96-64 (+32)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Final. CSKA – Olympiacos: 61-62 (-1)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Semifinal. Olympiacos – CSKA: 69-52 (-17)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Top 16. Olympiacos – CSKA: 84-76 (-8)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – Olympiacos: 76-70 (+6)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Semifinal. Olympiacos – CSKA: 70-68 (-2)
2015-16 – Euroleague. Top 16. CSKA – Olympiacos: 92-85 (+7)
2015-16 – Euroleague. Top 16. Olympiacos – CSKA: 96-99 (+3)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Regular Season. Olympiacos – CSKA: 75-81 (+6)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Regular Season. CSKA – Olympiacos: 90-86 (+4)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Semifinal. CSKA – Olympiacos: 78-82 (-4)
Short dossier
Olympiacos Pireaus, Greece
Founded: 1925 (1938 – basketball section)
Colors: white, red
Homecourt: Peace and Friendship Stadium (10.845)
Presidents: Panagiotis and Giorgios Angelopoulos
Head Coach: Giannis Sfairopoulos
Website: www.olympiacosbc.gr
Trophy case:
- 3-time Euroleague champions (1997, 2012, 13);
- Intercontinental Cup winners (2013);
- 11-time Greek champions (1949, 1960, 1976, 1978, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2012, 2015);
- 9-time Greek Cup winner (1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1994, 1997, 2002, 2010, 2011)
