“It will be another Top 16 game which we will consider as the final,” CSKA head coach Dimitris Itoudis said. “Efes’ game starts off the fast and athletic backcourt with Draper, Heurtel, Balbay, Jenning – I can mention all the guards on the team. They play really aggressive defense and run the break with great support from other teammates. Our visitors have great coach and well-established game, they won the Turkish Cup recently by beating Fener. So I expect the game of high intensity, where we have to fight on the boards, play good defense and take care of the ball.”
The Army Men practiced normally after their return from Volgograd. It should be reminded that Manuchar Markoishvili is back and ready to play. Still two Andreys – Vorontsevich and Kirilenko – missed previous game due to minor injuries.
“Relativity” connections
Dusan Ivkovic coached CSKA from 2002 to 2005.
Ivkovic also coached Milos Teodosic in Olympiacos in 2010-11 season.
Nenad Krstic played the last three seasons with CSKA and was teammates there with Sasha Kaun, Andrey Vorontsevich, Milos Teodosic, Sonny Weems, Aaron Jackson, Vitaly Fridzon and Kyle Hines.
Stratos Perperoglu played for Panathinaikos from 2007 to 2012, Dimitris Itoudis and Andreas Pistiolis were on team’s coaching staff during this period. The Army Men coaches also worked there with Stephane Lasme in 2012-13 season.
Perperoglou and Kyle Hines of CSKA won the Euroleague title together with Olympiacos Piraeus in 2013.
Important numbers
Milos Teodosic leads the league this season in assists with an average of 7.1 per game.
Teodosic has scored in double figures and made at least 1 three-pointer in 14 consecutive Euroleague games.
Teodosic is 6 three-pointers away from becoming the ninth player in competition history to reach 300 career three-pointers.
Nando De Colo is the Top 16 leader in steals with an average of 2.0 per game.
De Colo has recorded at least 1 steal in 13 of his last 14 Euroleague games.
De Colo has made 18 consecutive free throws in Euroleague games.
De Colo has scored in double figures in nine straight and 14 of his last 15 Euroleague games.
Sonny Weems has made at least 1 three-pointer in 14 of his last 15 Euroleague games.
Andrey Vorontsevich needs 2 more three-pointers to reach the century mark for his Euroleague career.
Manuchar Markoishvili needs 7 more three-pointers to reach the century mark for his Euroleague career.
Past matchups
Wins/losses: 11-9
1992-93 – European Cup. Group stage: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 85-82 (-3)
1992-93 – European Cup. Group stage: CSKA – Efes Pilsen: 87-96 (-9)
1997-98 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round: CSKA – Efes Pilsen: 77-73 (+4)
1997-98 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 71-63 (-8)
1998-99 – Euroleague. 1/8 finals: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 73-58 (-15)
1998-99 – Euroleague. 1/8 finals: CSKA – Efes Pilsen: 98-105 2ÎÒ (-7)
2000-01 – Suproleague. Third place game: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 91-85 (-6)
2002-03 – Euroleague. Top 16: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 71-69 (-2)
2002-03 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – Efes Pilsen: 66-54 (+12)
2005-06 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals: CSKA – Efes Pilsen: 66-57 (+9)
2005-06 – Euroleague. Quarterfinals: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 71-75 (+4)
2008-09 – Euroleague. Regular season: CSKA – Efes Pilsen: 90-68 (+22)
2008-09 – Euroleague. Regular season: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 55-74 (+19)
2010-11 – Euroleague. Regular season: Efes Pilsen – CSKA: 86-72 (-14)
2010-11 – Euroleague. Regular season: CSKA – Efes Pilsen: 78-69 (+9)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Regular season: CSKA – Anadolu Efes: 96-68 (+28)
2011-12 – Euroleague. Regular season: Anadolu Efes – CSKA: 65-82 (+17)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – Anadolu Efes: 90-71 (+19)
2012-13 – Euroleague. Top 16: Anadolu Efes – CSKA: 63-60 (-3)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Top 16: Anadolu Efes – CSKA: 69-78 (+9)
Short dossier
Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Turkey
Founded: 1976
Colors: white, blue
Home Court: Abdi Ipekci Arena (12.270 çðèòåëåé)
President: Tuncay Ozilhan
Head Coach: Dusan Ivkovic
Website: www.efesbasket.org
Trophy case:
- Korac Cup winner (1996);
- 13-time Turkish champion (1978/79, 82/83, 83/84, 91/92, 92/93, 93/94, 95/96, 96/97, 2001/02, 02/03, 03/04, 04/05, 08/09);
- 10-time Turkish Cup winner (1994, 96, 97, 98, 2001, 02, 06, 07, 09, 15);
- 9-time Turkish President Cup winner (1986, 92, 93, 96, 98, 2000, 06, 09, 10)
