ALBA Berlin beat CSKA Moscow at Megasport Arena last season, 88-93. Now the German powerhouse returns to the Russian capital in Round 25.
Keys to victory: CSKA vs. ALBA, Round 25
CSKA: Tempo will be key against ALBA
CSKA allows more points at home (79.7 ppg.) than any other team in the competition, which could potentially be a problem against a fast-paced team like ALBA. CSKA leads the EuroLeague in three-point attempts (27.7) and took as many as 43 shots from beyond the arc in Round 24 against Anadolu Efes Istanbul – a new club record in the competition. Connecting with its big men, particularily Nikola Milutinov, should be one of the biggest keys to the game, as ALBA will likely need to double-team him, generating better shots for players like Daniel Hackett, Will Clyburn and Alexey Shved.
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ALBA: Time to ride its momentum
ALBA arguably comes off its best and most satisfying win this season, downing UNICS Kazan 81-53 in the German capital. ALBA outrebounded UNICS by 45-32 and forced held its opponents to low shooting percentages (35.6% 2FG, 13.0% 3FG). Not everything was perfect, however, and ALBA has room for improvement against CSKA. The German club gave up 16 offensive rebounds to UNICS and picked up as many as 20 turnovers. ALBA needs to limit Milutinov down low and relies on Christ Koumadje and Ben Lammers to do so due to their intensity and great timing to block shots.