To Kaunas without Kelati16 october 2010

On Saturday BC Khimki went to Lithuania, where on Sunday it will hold the first match of VTB United League against Zalgiris (Kaunas). Yesterday it became known that Thomas Kelati had been injured and would not take part in the match.

Kelati's diagnosis is partial damage of the ligaments of the knee and ankle joints, and the verdict – a month for a full recovery. It is also up in the air the participation in the Kaunas match of BC Khimki point guard Zoran Planinic: he has minor problems with the ankle. The decision of his entrance to the game will be taken by the coaching staff directly before the game.

VISITING CARD

BC Žalgiris (Basketball Club Žalgiris), Kaunas, Lithuania

Founded: 1944
Arena: Kaunas Sports Hall (capacity: 5,000)
Location: Kaunas, Lithuania
Team colors: Green and White
President: Arvydas Sabonis
Head coach: Aco Petrović
Titles
National:
Lithuanian Championships (22): 1946, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1958, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008
Soviet Union Championships (5): 1947, 1951, 1985, 1986, 1987
Soviet Union Cups (1): 1953
International:
World Clubs Championships (1): 1986
Baltic Cups (2): 1998, 2009
EuroCup Championships (1): 1998
North European Championships (1): 1999
Euroleague Championships (1): 1999
Baltic Championships (3): 2005, 2008, 2010
Website: www.zalgiris.lt

Sergio Scariolo:

– Zalgiris is a very good team with a deep bench and a new experienced coach. We know that to play in Kaunas Sports Hall is always not easy, so it will be a difficult test for our club. It may be one of the toughest meetings in our group. But we will try to demonstrate our best basketball.

Sergey Monya:

– In Zalgiris there are well-known by Russian championship players: the best scorer of Euroleague in its history Marcus Brown, Aleksandar Ćapin and an ex-striker of BC Khimki Paulius Jankunas. Needless to say, all of them are strong basketball players who showed themselves to good advantage in our League. As for us there is a serious loss in our team. We will miss Thomas Kelati. We will try to make up for his lack by our collective actions.

TEAM ROSTER
№  Player Position  Height  Birthday Nationality
5Marcus BrownG1931974USA
6Aleksandar ĆapinG1861982Slovenia/Bosnia
7Martynas PociusG1961986Lithuania
9Mantas KalnietisG1951986Lithuania
10Tomas DelininkaitisG1901982Lithuania
12Tadas KlimavičiusF2041982Lithuania
13Paulius JankūnasF2051984Lithuania
15Mirza BegićC2201985Slovenia/Bosnia
19Mindaugas Kuzminskas F2051989Lithuania
20Dainius ŠalengaF1971977Lithuania
21Artūras MilaknisG1951986Lithuania
35Travis WatsonF2031981USA
41DeJuan CollinsG1881976USA
50Omar SamhanC2111988USA