NOVGOROD (Turkish Airlines Euroleague) - As players, Latvia's Ainars Bagatskis and Russia's Evgeny Pashutin were fearless competitors for their clubs and countries.

The former, a 1.98m forward, was such a great scorer that he earned the nickname "The Golden Hand".

To this day, Bagatskis is the Latvian national team's all-time leading scorer with 2,160 points in 143 games.

Pashutin, a 1.90m guard who made his Russia senior team bow at the 1994 FIBA World Championship in Canada, was a floor general who ran the offense and spent more time distributing the ball and playing lock-down defense.

Now both men are showing their expertise in basketball as tremendous coaches, and not only for their countries.

Yes, while Bagataskis, who last month was a unanimous selection for Latvia's Coach of the Year honor, will coach his national team at EuroBasket 2015 and Pashutin will lead Russia as well, each is now firmly focused on his club.

The winner will punch its ticket to the Top 16, although Unics will also clinch a spot if Zalgiris Kaunas fall to Dinamo Sassari.

With Sassari having won just once all season, a Zalgiris defeat may seem unlikely but Dinamo won the first encounter between the teams.

Two of the three teams (Zalgiris, Unics and Nizhny) will progress behind Group A winners Real Madrid and Anadolu Efes Istanbul.

Nizhny will not be short of confidence because they won the first battle between the two sides back on 13 November in Unics' Basket Hall Kazan.

There are three significant changes for the second meeting.

First, Pashutin replaced Argiris Pedoulakis immediately after that game as Unics coach and has steered the team to four straight victories.

Second, Nizhny's most explosive scorer, Taylor Rochestie, is injured and won't play for Nizhny. The Euroleague's leading scorer at 20 points per game had 24 in the first meeting on eight of 14 shooting, including four makes on all of his shots from long range.

Third, Friday's encounter is to be played in Nizhny's CEC Nagorny.

"We will have to keep to our game," Pashutin warned, "play defensivey and neutralise their leaders, among them (Tarence) Kinsey, (Trey) Thompkins and (Art) Parakhousky."

Parakhousky, who plays for the Belarus national team, had 19 points and nine boards in the first meeting. 

"We should pay special attention to (Russia international Dmitry) Khvostov as well, a player who is showing a very mature game in his recent matches."

Pashutin said his players also can't allow Nizhny to get to the free-throw line and they must get a hand in the face of the home side's three-point shooters, which includes paying close attention to Russia international Semen Antonov and Evgeny Baburin.

"Nizhny Novgorod does very well on court provided they do not feel pressure," Pashutin said. 

"Therefore, our offense should be well thought out and smart and we should avoid becoming run-and-gun. We have to keep our winning rhythm and play as a team."

Zalgiris know they will qualify for the Top 16 from Group A with a victory over Dinamo Sassari, or if Unics defeat Niznhy.

The other major order of business to be decided in the Euroleague this week is in Group D, where Neptunas Klaipeda are trying to join Olympiacos, Crvena Zvezda and Laboral Kutxa in the next phase of the competition.

Neptunas have four wins but must win at Valencia Basket on Thursday to be assured of progressing.

Should the Lithuanian team fall and Galatasaray (3-6) prevail at home over Olympiacos, then the Turkish team would leapfrog them into fourth place.

Galatasaray, who have watched Turkey big man Furkan Aldemir leave the club join the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, have signed Patrick Young as a replacement.

In Group B,  CSKA Moscow (9-0), Maccabi Tel Aviv (6-3), Unicaja Malaga and Alba Berlin (both 4-5) have seal Top 16 places, while in Group C, FC Barcelona (8-1), Fenerbahce Ulker (7-2), Panathinaikos (5-4) and EA7 Emporio Armani (4-5) have clinched their progression.

FIBA