A time of decisive matches has come in basketball Russian Championship. No more than three matches left for every club of «A» Division in Superleague up to the end of the first stage in the National Championship. That’s why it’s time to sum its up preliminary results.

As specialists supposed the top of a tournament table occurred to be the most predictable. Repeated Russian champion CSKA continued to churn out victories in spite of team changes between seasons. Just at start of the season CSKA players sustained some game difficulties, but as more the championship put on as more powerful a «red-blue» machine looked like.

The club unexpectedly stumbled just in one match when they had been stopped by Kazan UNICS. But it was only an episode. In further the team of Evgheniy Pashutin didn’t give reasons to doubt in its superiority over the rivals.

«Khimki» and UNICS fought for second-third place. Moscow region club managed no once to win CSKA, however this task was set Sergio Scariolo. But as for the games with the other teams «Khimki» didn’t let a misfire, so they keep the second place with confidence.

Kazanians were not bad during the major part of the championship, but in some games the team lacked for a full composition. Probably recent defeats from «Lokomotiv-Kuban» and «Krasnye Krylia» will let the team of Chomicius rise upper than the third line even if UNICS wins «Khimki» at the results of personal meetings.

The most fierce struggle unfolded for the fourth position which «Lokomotiv-Kuban» has been still keeping. Our team managed to gain victories in core games of the second round, with «Triumph», UNICS, «Spartak» and took place right after the top three. It will be enough a victory for the «railwaymen» within the coming matches with CSKA and «Enisey» to remain the fourth.

«Triumph» and «Dynamo» are also reckoned with the candidates for a place in the top four. Moscow region club started the season with confidence and once the moment was when he led a tournament table. However then a game decline began. After the New Year the team of Stanislav Eremin sustained a series of defeats and now they are able to hit the top four just in a case of three wins and two defeats of the «railwaymen».

The left matches «Triumph» will be with UNIKS, «Dynamo» and «Enisey». Two games will be road. Moscow region club will meet only Krasnoyarsk team on their court. Chances are not great, but «triumphators» have advantage over the «railwaymen» in personal meetings. This fact does not let strike Eremin’s team off the number of candidates for the fourth place.

Moscow «Dynamo» has the same advantage over «Lokomotiv». The capital team has more easier calendar, they will not have to meet with top clubs already. Two matches the team of Sergey Bazarevich will hold with the direct opponents «Triumph» and «Krasnye Krylia». In a case of even one misfire they would not have got a chance to equalize with Krasnodarians according to wins’ number.