Pre-game breakdown
The Army Men got the day off upon its return from St.Petersburg and had full-time practice on Tuesday.
Pre-game quotes
Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:
We expect another tough EuroLeague game. Efes recently changed head coach and several players, they are a dangerous team so we have to play very seriously.
Semen Antonov, CSKA forward:
After the coaching change and some recent additions Efes started to play much better, they are ready to jump into playoff race. So we expect it to be difficult. We have to care about our game first, to play our basketball and execute what coach is saying.
“Relativity” connections
Nando De Colo played under Efes head coach Velimir Perasovic at Valencia Basket during the 2011-12 campaign.
Efes forward Derrick Brown was a teammate of CSKA forward Nikita Kurbanov at Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar during the 2014-15 campaign.
Cory Higgins and Brown played for the Charlotte Bobcats in 2011-12 season.
Birkan Batuk of Efes and Will Clyburn of CSKA were teammates at Darussafaka Istanbul last season.
Efes big man Bryant Dunston was a teammate at Olympiacos of CSKA Moscow center Othello Hunter in 2014-15 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.
Kyle Hines has not missed a EuroLeague game since January 2014; he has appeared in 128 consecutive games for CSKA in that span.
Nando De Colo has scored in double figures and posted a performance index rating in double figures in 13 of his last 14 EuroLeague games. He is third in the EuroLeague in scoring with 17.1 points per contest and second in average performance index rating with 20.6 per game.
De Colo is fifth in the EuroLeague this season with 1.4 steals per game.
De Colo has made 23 consecutive free throws in EuroLeague action. He leads all qualified EuroLeague players in free-throw accuracy by making 95.6% of his attempts. Nando is the EuroLeague career leader in free throw accuracy at 93.61%.
Sergio Rodriguez has made multiple three-pointers in 10 of his last 11 EuroLeague games. He is second in the EuroLeague this season with 2.9 three-pointers made per game.
Sergio Rodriguez is eighth on the all-time EuroLeague assists charts with 846. Brose Bamberg’s Nikos Zisis is seventh with 853 and counting.
Othello Hunter is fourth in the league in offensive rebounds with 2.9 per game.
Kyle Hines is tied fourth with Kerem Gonlum on the all-time EuroLeague charts with 421 offensive rebounds for his career. He needs 18 more to catch Ioannis Bourousis (439) for third place.
Victor Khryapa ranks 10th on the all-time EuroLeague charts with 1,062 career rebounds. Former Panathinaikos star Mike Batiste is in ninth place with 1,117.
Khryapa is ranked eighth on the all-time charts with 241 career steals. Juan Carlos Navarro of FC Barcelona Lassa is seventh with 246 and counting.
Khryapa is seventh on the all-time charts with 161 blocks for his career. He needs 1 more to catch Mirza Begic who has 162 in sixth place.
Past matchups
Wins/losses: 15-9
1992-93 – European Cup. Group stage: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 85-82 (-3)
1992-93 – European Cup. Group stage: CSKA – Efes Pilsen: 87-96 (-9)
1997-98 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round: CSKA – Efes Pilsen: 77-73 (+4)
1997-98 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 71-63 (-8)
1998-99 – Euroleague. 1/8 finals: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 73-58 (-15)
1998-99 – Euroleague. 1/8 finals: CSKA – Efes Pilsen: 98-105 2ÎÒ (-7)
2000-01 – Suproleague. Third place game: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 91-85 (-6)
2002-03 – Euroleague. Top 16: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 71-69 (-2)
2002-03 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – Efes Pilsen: 66-54 (+12)
2005-06 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals: CSKA – Efes Pilsen: 66-57 (+9)
2005-06 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 71-75 (+4)
2008-09 – Euroleague. Regular season: CSKA – Efes Pilsen: 90-68 (+22)
2008-09 – Euroleague. Regular season: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 55-74 (+19)
2010-11 – Euroleague. Regular season: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 86-72 (-14)
2010-11 – Euroleague. Regular season: CSKA – Efes Pilsen: 78-69 (+9)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Regular season: CSKA – Anadolu Efes: 96-68 (+28)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Regular season: Anadolu Efes – CSKA: 65-82 (+17)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – Anadolu Efes: 90-71 (+19)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Top 16: Anadolu Efes – CSKA: 63-60 (-3)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Top 16: Anadolu Efes – CSKA: 69-78 (+9)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – Anadolu Efes: 88-81 (+6)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Regular season: Anadolu Efes – CSKA: 87-93 (+6)
2016-17 – Euroleague. Regular season: CSKA – Anadolu Efes: 80-77 (+3)
2017-18 – Euroleague. Regular season: Anadolu Efes – CSKA: 80-98 (+18)
Short dossier
Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Turkey
Founded: 1976
Colors: white, blue
Home Court: Abdi Ipekci Arena (12,270)
President: Tuncay Ozilhan
Head Coach: Ergin Ataman
Website: www.efesbasket.org
Trophy case:
- Korac Cup winner (1996);
- 13-time Turkish champion (1978/79, 82/83, 83/84, 91/92, 92/93, 93/94, 95/96, 96/97, 2001/02, 02/03, 03/04, 04/05, 08/09);
- 10-time Turkish Cup winner (1994, 96, 97, 98, 2001, 02, 06, 07, 09, 15);
- 9-time Turkish President Cup winner (1986, 92, 93, 96, 98, 2000, 06, 09, 10)
