The match between Loko and PARMA-PARI will be key in terms of the fight for a place in the top six following the results of the first round of the regular season. At the moment, the Krasnodar team has 9 wins in 17 matches. Permians have 2 less winnings. This means that the de facto victory guarantees the solution of the minimum task for Alexander Sekulich’s wards. In this case, PARMA-PARI will be able to oust Loko from the Top 6 only if it wins all the remaining matches (away with Avtodor and Pari NN, at home with UNICS and Yenisei), and the railwaymen, on the contrary, will lose all the remaining matches (at home with Paris NN and Minsk, visiting Zenit and Astana). The probability of the totality of all these outcomes is so hypothetical that it can be ignored.
Another thing is that beating PARMA-PARI is a very difficult task. The head coach of Permyakov Evgeny Pashutin is well acquainted with the capabilities of most of the players of the Krasnodar team, as he has been training them for a long time. In the last two matches, the Permians confidently dealt with the outsiders of the tournament – “Minsk” “brought” 23 points, “Astana” – 20. The leaders of “PARMA-PARI” – defender Justin Roberson and Bryon Allen – spent 30 minutes or more on the court and gained confidence. The average performance of the first in the last two matches: 21.0 points, 6.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals; second – 17.0 points, 6.5 assists, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals. The figures are impressive, even though they were demonstrated in matches with not the strongest opponents. In any case, it is the neutralization of this couple that is the main homework for the wards of Alexander Sekulich.
Loko trains in the standard mode. Both rookies of the team – point guard Joshiah Gray and forward Chris Horton – will be included in the application for the game with PARMA-PARI. Andrey Martyuk, who missed a couple of training sessions for medical reasons, works in the general group and is ready to play.
We remind you that Martyuk reached the final of the voting for the title of the best athlete of the outgoing year in the Krasnodar Territory. You can and should vote for the player HERE. After that – send the link to all friends and acquaintances who love basketball!
It is noteworthy that following the results of the first round match between PARMA-PARI and Loko, Martyuk was included in the symbolic top five of the round. As did Zakhar Vedishchev, who converted a dramatic game into overtime with two three-pointers. And in the extra five minutes, he first gave a smart pass to Martyuk under the throw from above, and then scored himself and removed all questions about the winner.
Loko has prepared a New Year’s entertainment program for the fans. At 19:15, the traditional pre-match studio will begin broadcasting, in which the head of the club’s press service, Vladimir Mozhaitsev, and press attache Roman Zaporotsky will tell the latest news about the team. A very cool expert is expected in the studio. By the way, if you haven’t watched the latest Lokobasket TV program about the December red-green matches, it’s time to do it.
If for some reason you can’t get to the “Basket Hall” – the broadcast will be available on lokobasket.com , VTB United League website, Match TV and TV Start TV channels.