The Army club took the charter flight to Novosibirsk right after the game against Spartak-Primor’e. The team had a practice in the morning and started the game at 19.15 local time. As well as in Vladivostok CSKA ensured the house to be sold out at Sevenyi sports hall. But there was no such public excitement as at Primor’e. It is no surprise, the audience at Novosibirsk has a chance to see CSKA once a year.
Sibirtelecom – CSKA: 69-82
Lokomotiv stepped on the court motivated and ready to play. At first both of the teams payed more attention to the defense. This is the reason why the first shot made came only with 7.15 to go in the first quarter. It was 3-pointer by Holden. And it was a kind of a signal for both of the rivals to start scoring. CSKA did it better and forced the head coach of Sibirtelecom Sergey Zozulin to take the time-out right in the middle of the quarter when the score was 10-4 in CSKA favor. But the coach’s corrections in the game did not take effect immediately. Loko was scoreless another minute and a half – 15-4 with 3.15 to go. Several long distance shots finally helped Loko to finish the quarter with the double digits in the points scored – 22-12.
In the second quarter the teams started to play more active basketball. It changed the rhythm of the game but not the gap – 33-23 with 4 minutes to go. In the end of the half CSKA put more efforts on the defense but the accident that occurred between CSKA young forward Nikita Shabalkin and Loko veteran Sergey Grezin took the spot lights away from the score difference. Fortunately the referees decided not to consider the accident as the fight but as the aggressive conduct. This means that the both players would have to pay Russian Basketball Federation the fine but would not miss any of the games. But of course both left the court until the end of the game. CSKA finished the first half leading by 14 points – 43-29.
The host team started the second half with more effort. But CSKA never let the rival to step through the 10 points difference. And in the end Loko almost lost its focus and motivation. With 1.48 to go the Army club built the biggest gap in the game – 78-60. But finished the match with the result 82-69.
Right after the game CSKA had a flight to Surgut. On Monday the team would meet local Universitet.
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