Banvit (Balikesir) vs. CSKA: 65-61 (-4)
Banvit: Yilmaz (1), Fortson (2 + 4 to), Johnson (12), Slaughter (13), Gecim (3 rb), Simmons (7), Vidmar (5 + 8 rb + 4 pf), Stephens (4 + 3 rb), Moerman (11 + 8 rb), Yildirim (10 + 6 rb + 3 to)…
CSKA: Kulagin (9 + 3 rb), Fridzon (16 + 3 rb + 2 bs), Jackson (9 + 3 rb + 5 as + 3 to), Vorontsevich (8 + 3 rb + 5 pf), Higgins (7), Kurbanov (2 + 3 rb + 4 pf), Hines (10 + 4 rb + 5 pf)…
Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:
There were obviously two different pictures in the first and second halves. For sure so many absences affected our game but I told the team that we should not look, who is now off the court, we should look, who is on the court. And in the second half the guys fought like lions. We evened the game in the third quarter and made it decided by just one shot. Banvit was lucky to hit this shot. In our turn Jackson created good position for Kurbanov, Nikita missed but we completely supported the play, we just weren’t lucky enough. I have to repeat that it is really difficult to try to win without Freeland, Khryapa, Nichols, Korobkov, De Colo and Teodosic. But we will be ready to fight in any situation.
