Earlier than in the finals

CSKA and Khimki kept the status quo in the Russian League but their playoff series will not be the final one for the first time in years.

“Obviously it will be a difficult series,” CSKA head coach Ettore Messina said. “We have to face Khimki without Sonny Weems and still in doubt about the conditions of Milos Teodosic. Still the team showed togetherness and toughness in our games in Samara, so I hope we will be able to play up to the level of challenge.”

Sonny Weems who injured both ankles in the Game 3 of the series vs Krasnye Krylia practices individually. At the same time Milos Teodosic and Dmitry Sokolov joined their teammates. The team (with exception of Alexander Gudumak, who is called to Russian U20 Team) went to Khimki today to practice on the floor of local arena.