Baskonia closes the Russian triptych with a thirst for victory
MADRID, Jan. 22 (SportsFinding) –
Kirolbet Baskonia will receive on Thursday the Russian Khimki (9:00 p.m.) on the 21st day of the Euroleague, his third commitment followed in the competition against a Russian rival who faces in need of victories and motivated by his victory at home against Real Madrid in the Last league day.
The bad continental streak of the Vitorian team, with a single victory in the last seven days, has greatly complicated its future in the Euroleague, where it occupies the fifteenth position with a balance of 7-13, but its latest performances are an open door to the hope.
The final reactions in Moscow, where he touched the comeback against CSKA (90-94), and in Madrid, where he managed to knock 'in extremis' to Real Madrid (94-95), demonstrated that “character” to which he has appealed in several times Dusko Ivanovic and he can give new joy to his team in the coming weeks.
The support of Fernando Buesa Arena and the visit of another rival who is not going through his best moment also feed the hope of Baskonia, who will still be unable to count on the injured Luca Vildoza, Patricio Garino and Jayson Granger.
On the other hand, the Khimki (9-11), located to a victory of the 'playoff', comes from breaking before the Real Madrid (102-94) a streak of four defeats in a row, but still does not carbure at home and chains six trips consecutive away from the Mytishchi Arena.
Aleksei Shved, brilliant last week with 21 points and 13 assists against the white team, arrives in very good shape for this fourteenth precedent between Vitorians and Muscovites, who took the last one in October (79-76) and can now balance this record (7-6).
DATA SHEET.
–EQUIPMENT.
KIROLBET BASKONIA: Henry, Janning, Shields, Shengelia and Fall – possible initial quintet–; Stauskas, Eric, Diop, Polonara, García, López and González.
KHIMKI: Zaytsev, Shved, Timma, Booker and Jerebko – possible initial quintet–; Kramer, Jovic, Karasev, Gill, Evans, Monia and Bertans.
– ARBITRATORS: Ryzhyk, Koromilas and Bissang.
– PAVILION: Fernando Buesa Arena.