After winning the first preseason friendly match over the Prenai “CBet” as part of the training camp in Lithuania, “Astana” Presidential Basketball Club met with VTB United League rival “Khimki”, Moscow Region.
The top Russian team from the Moscow Region and “Astana” play at least twice a season, as both teams are regular participants in the VTB United League. Over 8 years, the teams met 16 times in the tournament, as well as in the preseason of 2015/2016, fate brought them together at the Garastas Cup. The score in mutual games is in favor of the team from Moscow region, “Astana” was able to beat “Khimki” only 3 times in the entire history of the meetings. “Khimki” became finalist of VTB United League last season, and this season they gathered a very powerful players and their ambitions are clearly aimed at winning the VTB United League this season.
Despite the fact that several leaders of “Khimki” Alexei Shved, Timofey Mozgov and Chris Kramer did not take part in the current game with “Astana”, but even without them their roster was extremely dangerous. The Kazakhstan team was able to win the first quarter and had a lead after the first half, but after halftime Khimki team picked up the peace and eventually won the game — 88:81 (22:26, 18:17, 24:17, 24:21).
Newcomer of “Astana” Jeremiah Hill became the top-scoring player with 23 points, Alexander Zhigulin had 20 points and 6 rebounds, Serbian center Dusan Ristic scored 16 points and collected 8 rebounds with 4 assists, and Malcolm Hill scored 16 points and grabbed 6 rebounds.
Schedule and results of pre-season friendly matches of PBC Astana:
- September 7 — BC «CBet» - 74:75
- September 9 — BC «Khimki» - 88:81
- September 12 — BC «Neptunas» - 79:79
- September 14 — BC «Liepaja» - 73:107
- September 17 — BC «Lietuvos-Rytas» - 100:76
- September 19 — BC «Avtodor» - 106:83
- September 24 — BC «VEF» — 84:77
- September 28 — BC «Kuršiai»
