Milan at CSKA
Date: 12/26
Time: 6:00 PM CET
Game Preview
The first game of Round 16 features two of the league's best point guards in Mike James and Sergio Rodriguez, who both played for the opposite team a season ago. The swap has worked well for both sides, as each player leads his current team in scoring. It's worked a little better for CSKA of late though, as James led his team to a 4-1 over its last five games while Milan snapped a five-game losing streak its last time out. CSKA has lost just once at home all season, so Milan will need its best effort to remain on the winning path.
Injuries
CSKA Moscow
Will Clyburn - OUT - Knee
11/11 8:25 PM IST - Clyburn underwent surgery Monday to repair the torn ACL in his right knee, John Askounis of Eurohoops.net reports. The operation officially spells an end to Clyburn's season after the 29-year-old injured his knee during CSKA Moscow's Round 4 game in EuroLeague play. Clyburn will return to Moscow to continue his rehab and is expected to make a full recovery ahead of the 2020-21 season.
Mikhail Kulagin - OUT - Calf
12/12 3:15 AM IST - Kulagin (calf) will not play Thursday against Maccabi Tel Aviv, according to CSKA's official website. Kulagin has missed nearly two months as a result of his injury, and it remains to be seen when he will be ready to return to action.
AX Armani Olimpia Milan
Jeff Brooks - GTD - Illness
12/20 12:04 AM IST - Brooks will not play Thursday against Valencia due to an illness, according to Milan's official Twitter account. Brooks should not be out long, but he will not be available for the second of the two EuroLeague games on Milan's schedule this week.
Nemanja Nedovic - GTD - Thigh
12/26 8:02 AM IST - Nedovic (thigh) has resumed taking part in team practices, according to Sportando. It was reported last week that Nedovic could return to action in Round 16, and with him back at practice, he will have a chance to do just that.
Keifer Sykes - OUT - Coach's Decision
12/25 8:22 PM IST - Sykes agreed to a contract Wednesday with AX Armani Olimpia Milan, Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net reports. Sykes joins the Italian club by way of China, where he most recently played for the Guangzhou Loong Lions. The 25-year-old's deal with Olimpia Milan isn't official yet, so it's unlikely he'll be cleared to play in advance of the club's Round 16 matchup Thursday with CSKA Moscow. Instead, the American point guard should be ready to make his EuroLeague debut next week, when Olimpia Milan takes on Zenit St. Petersburg on Jan. 3 in Round 17 action.
AX Armani Olimpia Milan Probable Starters
G - Sergio Rodriguez
G - Michael Roll
F - Vladimir Micov
F - Luis Scola
C - Kaleb Tarczewski
CSKA Moscow Probable Starters
G - Mike James
G - Daniel Hackett
F - Nikita Kurbanov
F - Johannes Voigtmann
C - Kyle Hines
Top Picks
Mike James (C), MOS - James has been red hot of late, averaging 26.3 points over his last three games, and he now sits third in the league in scoring. James typically takes the most shots on his team, and he will have a little extra motivation Thursday facing his former team.
Sergio Rodriguez, AXE - Rodriguez bounced back from his quietest game of the season and nearly recorded his second double-double in three games in Round 15. He has scored in double figures in all but one game this season and is sixth in the league with 5.73 assists per game.
Vladimir Micov, AXE - Micov has put up double-digit fantasy points in every game this season and is second on the Milan squad with an average of 12.5 ppg.
Darrun Hilliard, MOS - Hilliard was eased into action in the last two games after missing time with a knee injury, but he still managed to scored 10 points in each contest. If Hilliard plays closer to the 20 minutes he is averaging per game, he could do even better Thursday.
Captaincy Options
Dream11 Team
PG: Mike James (captain), Sergio Rodriguez, Daniel Hackett
SG: Darrun Hilliard
SF: Vladimir Micov, Michael Roll
PF: Johannes Voigtmann, Joel Bolomboy
Grand League Combination
James, Rodriguez, Micov, Voigtmann
Small League Combination
James, Rodriguez, Micov, Hilliard
