Pre-game breakdown
CSKA has never lost EuroLeague playoff series.
Nando De Colo, Kyle Hines, Pavel Korobkov and Mikhail Kulagin are busy with post-injury rehab.
The Army Men got two days off after a couple of home wins and got back to practices at USH CSKA. The team will go to Mytishchi just for the game, morning shootaround will be held at the home arena.
Pre-game quotes
Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:
We understand the meaning of this game and we will approach it as the final one – though we actually approach every game like this. The upcoming game has its specialties, and we are working hard to improve offensively and defensively, to play our game. It is going to be a tough road game.
Victor Rudd, CSKA forward:
Hopefully we will close it out. We know it is going to be a tough game. We have to play better defense and try to get this win.
Important numbers
Coach Dimitris Itoudis has used 12 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 seven straight and 15 of his last 16 EuroLeague games, and has had a double-digit PIR in eight of his last nine EuroLeague appearances.
De Colo is ranked second among qualified EuroLeague players this season in average performance index rating with 19.8 per game. He is second in the EuroLeague in scoring with 16.9 points per game, fifth in steals with 1.3 per contest, fourth with 94.6% free-throw accuracy. Nando is the EuroLeague career leader in free throw accuracy at 93.57%.
De Colo has made at least 1 three-pointer in each of his last seven EuroLeague games; he’s made multiple threes in six of those games and is shooting 19 for 30 from downtown (63.3%) from downtown over that stretch.
Nando De Colo has 508 points for the third season in a row. No player this century has reached 500 points in a single season more than once.
Sergio Rodriguez leads the EuroLeague Playoffs in scoring with 24 points per game, and has the highest average PIR in the playoffs (30). Is also third in the playoffs this season in assists with 7.5 per game.
Rodriguez is second in the EuroLeague this season with 2.7 three-pointers made per game. Sergio has made 86 three-pointers this season, which is the second highest single-season total. Khimki’s Alexey Shved has set a new record this season with 97 triples, and counting.
Sergio Rodriguez is in sixth place on the all-time EuroLeague assists charts with 914. Next on the list is Theo Papaloukas with 977.
Rodriguez has collected at least 1 steal in eight of his last nine EuroLeague appearances.
Cory Higgins has collected at least 1 steal in seven straight EuroLeague appearances.
Nikita Kurbanov has made 22 consecutive free throws in EuroLeague games.
Leo Westermann has made 12 consecutive free throws in EuroLeague games dating back to last season.
Othello Hunter is fourth among all qualified EuroLeague players in offensive rebounding with 2.6 per game.
Hunter has made 12 consecutive free throws in EuroLeague games.
Hunter is tied for second with an average PIR of 24 in the playoffs this season.
Will Clyburn is the playoffs co-leader in rebounds with 8 per game going into Game 3. Hunter is ranked third with 7.5 rebounds per game in the playoffs.
Kyle Hines is third on the all-time EuroLeague charts with 440 offensive rebounds for his career.
Hines is fourth all-time with 180 career blocks. Anadolu Efes center Bryant Dunston is third with 188 blocks.
Victor Khryapa ranks 10th on the all-time EuroLeague charts with 1,068 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. 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: 84-17
CSKA biggest win: 104-64 (+40) (2002-03 Superleague Regular Season)
CSKA biggest loss: 85-67 (-18) (2007-08 Russian Cup Final)
Games of 2017-18 season:
VTB United League
06-Nov-2017. Khimki – CSKA: 81-96 (+15)
EuroLeague
22-Dec-2017. CSKA – Khimki: 79-68 (+11)
VTB United League
05-Feb-2018. CSKA – Khimki: 90-71 (+19)
EuroLeague
23-Mar-2018. Khimki – CSKA: 73-90 (+17)
EuroLeague Playoffs
17-Apr-2018. CSKA – Khimki: 98-95 (+3)
19-Apr-2018. CSKA – Khimki: 89-84 (+5)
Short dossier
Khimki Moscow Region
Founded: 1997
Colors: blue, yellow
Home court: Moscow Region Basketball Center (3,500)
President: Dmitry Golubkov
CEO: Pavel Astakhov
Head coach: Giorgios Bartzokas
Website: www.bckhimki.ru
Trophy Case: 2-time Eurocup winners (2012, 15), Russian Cup winner (2008), VTB United League champion (2011), 7-time Russian League runner-up (2006, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13), Russian League bronze winner (2007), Russian Cup finalist (2006), FIBA-Europe Cup finalist (2006), Eurocup finalist (2009)
