The first semifinalist of Cup of Russia has become knows only in the last quarter of the game CSKA – Khimki. Losing to the decisive quarter practically all key players the team from Moscow Region could not do anything with the army team offense:
CSKA vs Khimki: 91-75
In recent game against Lokomotiv Rostov army team showed how that can play in defense. But today this component of the play of CSKA was bad again in the first half.
Dusan Ivkovic put to the starting five Holden, Brown, Khryapa, Turkcan and Alexander. The center of Khimki Denis Ershov scored first 2 points, but then our team took initiative. A minute later CSKA was leading: 7-4. After small spurt the opponent of our team returned the leadership: 7-10. But right after that Marcus Brown scored 3-pointer and equalized the score. 2 minutes to the end of the quarter Dusan Ivkovic took first time-out and substituted Khryapa to Monya and Turkcan to Panov. But these substitutions did not change the course of the game. In the end of the quarter Khimki took leadership and finished it: 24-29.
In the second quarter substitutions of CSKA continued. After entering on the floor Papaloukas and Tarlac only Brown from the starting five stayed on the parquet. On the third minute Sergey Monya returned to the army team leadership after good 3-pointer: 33-31. After it Dragan Tarlac made the foul on Mikhail Soloviev. Russian player punched our center. He received disqualification to the end of the game and Tarlac received non-sportive foul. The second quarter finished with the small advantage of CSKA: 48-45. On last second Holden could not score the ball.
In the beginning of the third quarter Savkov made the advantage minimal but then Khimki could not return the leadership for the long time. Only after 5 minutes the captain of our opponent Vasily Karasev who has a birthday today scored 2 points: 60-62. 6 seconds after it he received 5th foul and went to the bench. CSKA returned initiative and finished this quarter good: 66-64.
After the last rest army team turned to the zone defense. As Dusan Ivkovic said on the press-conference it was the key factor of our victory. In the middle of the quarter our advantage was 12 points: 82-70. Ershov and Pertrenko received 5th fouls and finished the game. Without key players Khimki could not do anything with CSKA. Our team won 91-75 and moved to the final of tournament.
The head coach of CSKA Dusan Ivkovic:
- I did not expect this kind of game. We were very good in the fourth quarter. But first three quarters were too nervous. Our defense that moment was bad, in 1-to-1 game and in transition game. They key was fourth quarter when we turned to the zone defense.
Khimki is good team with good coach and many talented players. But I can not understand why they are playing with CSKA so dirty. It is not for the fist time. It is big difference between dirty game and tough game in defense. Our opponent finished the game with one disqualificated player and with three players with 3 fouls. I need to protect my team from this kind of basketball.
What can you say about judgment?
It was had game for referring. But they badly control the game. In situation with Soloviev all Khimki players and the coach were on the floor. But judges must know rules. Nobody in Europe play this way.
The head coach of Khimki Sergey Elevich:
- I did not see anything similar for a long time. Some moment I wanted to leave area with my team. If is very difficult to play good in defense with heavy loud of fouls. This tournament is necessary, but not with this kind of treatment for its participants.
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