Kaunas fans are always anxious to meet CSKA and they got a rare opportunity to see Moscow team playing on their court for the third time this season. After two visits for VTB League games our team flew to hospitable Lithuanian city to face Zalgiris in the Euroleague Top 16 Week 2 game.
CSKA reached the destination point in the evening and accommodated the same hotel where the team stayed during victorious VTB League Final Four. There is the only roster change comparing to previous games: Artem Zabelin who showed himself in the recent games for the junior team replaced Victor Keyru who is advised to rest because of back pains. Zalgiris will have to play without their star rebounder Travis Watson. Tadas Klimavicius is also questionable for the game.
"Everybody knows that Zalgiris – CSKA games were always special and have a long and glorious history, - CSKA head coach Evgeny Pashutin said. We’ve been to Kaunas two times already this season and we know perfectly that the hosts show great heart, passion and character when they are playing in front of their home crowd. They won a number of close games in Sporto Halle and we were one of the victims. This time they will be hyper-motivated after the painful loss in Gdynia in Top 16 Week 1. We are happy to have all our players healthy and ready. Our primary task will be to play very attentively on the perimeter as Zalgiris is very good in driving and dishing out, spreading the floor and three-point shooting."
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