Disposition
Loko have lost four of their last five matches and the victory in the third round of the Top 16 is needed by the team like a breath of fresh air. The coaching staff headed by Evgeny Pashutin remains optimistic, the team began to train hard for the game against Partizan almost immediately after returning from Italy. All players who are in team disposition are healthy and ready for battle.
Loko is expecting a very difficult match against the Serbian Partizan, which is also not playing in the best way in January. Partizan have lost their last three away games, including the game in France against Metropolitan 92 in the EuroCup – 62:79.
Partizan was scheduled to play another regular season game of the Adriatic League against FMP last Saturday, January 23, but due to the fact that five players and one coach tested positive for coronavirus, the game was canceled. In accordance with the requirements of the Serbian Ministry of Health, the entire team was quarantined pending retest results. On Sunday Partizan’s players received negative tests. The test was confirmed by only one of the team’s coaches, who is isolated, in accordance with covid protocols.
Partizan
The head coach of Partizan Slovene Saso Filipovski worked with Lokomotiv in 2009. It is noteworthy that Saso headed the red-greens in Rostov in the spring, and left the club when Loko had already moved to Krasnodar.
The leader of the black-whites this season is the American guard Codi Miller-Mcintyre, who is well known to VTB League fans from playing for PARMA and Zenit.
Those people who shone in the Eurocup last season, including the game against Loko, are also in good shape. Speech, first of all, about William Mosley, Rashon Thomas, Marcus Paige, Ognjen Jaramaz and Rade Zagorac.
Before the New Year Partizan signed a contract with guard Josh Perkins. In the first matches of the team in the EuroCup Josh averaged 8 points and 4 assists.
Loko
All teams have not the best segments during the season, so the situation is difficult now, but it is not worth dramatizing. The most important matches are still ahead and they begin with the home game in EuroCup against Partizan. Here, the team has no room for error.
After returning from Italy Loko immediately got down to work and practice for the game against Partizan. No days off, only increased training and mind recovery from failure!
Of course, in addition to general words, it can be noted that the team urgently needs to return to the level of play in the regular season of the EuroCup. If we take the numbers of only the first matches of the Top 16, Loko is only in 12th place in terms of the percentage of two-point shots (45.9) and 14th in terms of three-point shots (30.2%). It’s better to keep silent about free throws, as in the games against Metropolitan 92 and Trento the red-greens scored only 59.7% from the line.
In the Top 16 Loko concedes 89.5 points per game, and the opponents realize 46.3% of their long-range shots.
There is no doubt that with the support of the home stands Loko will give their best in such an important match!
Quotes
Where to watch
Loko will play against Partizan on January 27 at 19:30 (Moscow Time). You can find the channel in your country to watch this game online:
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Balkans: SPORTKLUB
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Sweden: EUROSPORT PLAYER
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Spain: DAZN
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Internet: EUROLEAGUE.TV
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Italy: EUROSPORT PLAYER
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Portugal: SPORT TV POR
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United Kingdom: EUROSPORT PLAYER
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Georgia: SILK SPORT 2 HD
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Ireland: EUROSPORT PLAYER
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Bulgaria: MAX SPORT 2
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Denmark: EUROSPORT PLAYER
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Slovenia: SPORT TV2
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Finland: EUROSPORT PLAYER
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Greece: NOVASPORTS 5HD
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Norway: EUROSPORT PLAYER
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Turkey: S SPORT PLUS
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History
Loko and Partizan will play their seventh match in the history of european competitions. The opponents have played each other in the Euroleague in the 2013/14 season and in the EuroCup in the 2017/18 and 2019/20 seasons. Only in the last EuroCup Partizan managed to beat Loko for the first time.
Partizan won the home match in Belgrade 80:71. Rashon Thomas scored 16 points for the winners, while Will Cummings and Sam Decker scored 17 points both for the red-greens.
In Krasnodar Loko managed to organize a win with 83:76. The most productive player among the winners was Mindaugas Kuzminskas, who scored 17 points. Will Cummings has 16 points.
Thus, at the moment Loko is leading in the overall history of the confrontation 5:1.