Pre-game breakdown
Zalgiris loss to Fenerbahce in the previous round helped the Army Men secure the home-court advantage in the playoffs. Now the team is focusing on defending its leading position in the EuroLeague regular season.
Pavel Korobkov (foot) stays out of action. Mikhail Kulagin rehabs after foot injury.
Pre-game quotes
Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:
We play another tough game against a defending champion and very good team. They play really well this season and they perform even better when they are boosted by their home crowd. We have to be fully determined and concentrated from minute one to the last second if we want to take the win.
Andrey Vorontsevich, CSKA forward:
We face the serious team with good, balanced roster. They defend well and they have many offensive options. We have to play tough, to demonstrate our basketball, to trust in ourselves, teammates and system of basketball that we play.
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 in 10 of his last 11 EuroLeague games.
Nando De Colo is ranked second among qualified EuroLeague players this season in average performance index rating with 20.6 per game, third in scoring with 17.0 points per game, fifth in steals (1.4), third in free-throw accuracy (96.04%) and third in three-point shooting (50.6%).
De Colo is the EuroLeague career leader in free throw accuracy at 93.80%.
Cory Higgins has scored in double figures in eight of his last nine EuroLeague games.
Higgins has recorded a performance index rating in double figures in nine of his last 10 EuroLeague games.
Nikita Kurbanov has made 17 consecutive free throws in EuroLeague games.
Will Clyburn has recorded a performance index rating of at least 12 in 10 of his last 11 EuroLeague games.
Will Clyburn is tied for fourth in the EuroLeague in rebounding with 6.0 rebounds per game.
Othello Hunter is fifth in the league in offensive rebounds with 2.6 per game.
Sergio Rodriguez is second in the EuroLeague this season with 2.8 three-pointers made per game.
Sergio Rodriguez is seventh on the all-time EuroLeague assists charts with 879. Next on the list is his former Real Madrid teammate Sergio Llull with 902.
Kyle Hines is fourth on the all-time EuroLeague charts with 434 offensive rebounds for his career. He needs 5 more to catch Ioannis Bourousis (439) for third place.
Hines needs 2 more rebounds to become the 13th player in competition history with 1,000 boards.
Hines is fourth all-time with 179 career blocks. Anadolu Efes center Bryant Dunston is third with 180 blocks and counting.
Khryapa is ranked eighth on the all-time charts with 241 career steals. Khryapa’s former teammate J.R. Holden is seventh with 247.
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: 21-10
Short dossier
Fenerbahce Istanbul, Turkey
Founded: 1913
Colors: yellow, dark-blue
Homecourt: Ulker Sports Arena (13800)
President: Azim Yildirim
Head coach: Zelimir Obradovic
Website: www.fenerbahce.org/fbulker/
Trophy case: EuroLeague champions (2017), Turkish champions (1991, 2007, 08, 10, 11, 14, 16), Turkish Cup winners (1967, 2010, 11, 13, 16), President’s Cup winners (1990, 91, 94, 2007, 13, 16)
