CSK VVS - CSKA: 65-81

CSKA spent less then a day in Samara. The team took a regular flight and that was one of the reasons not to plan the practice in the evening at all. The game started at 14.00 local time so CSKA did not have a chance to try out the floor of the basketball hall in Samara.

CSK VVS – CSKA: 65-81

The game was the first one at home for CSK VVS that was the reason for a small show before the game that included the raise of the flag, playing anthem and throwing balloons to the audience. Of course the fans used the balloons in their own way – the noise of them blowing up accompanied the game until the half time break.

CSKA started the game not in the same way in comparison with Pao or Dynamo Moscow region. The team chose a bit slower rhythm. And though CSKA was passing well in the offence and played together, the rhythm helped CSK VVS not to loose control on the game from the very start. On the other side of the court it took CSKA rather a long time to choose the right way of defending against the rival. These two reasons explain why CSK VVS was ahead after the first quarter – 22-12.

As soon as CSKA started to play faster the gap melted away. By the middle of the second quarter the score was evened – 30-29 with 4.26 to go in the period. But still the defense continued to be the weak point. Though the team tried to stop the club from Samara in different ways including zone defense, it was enough just to build a small difference before the halftime break – 40-36.

The mistakes in the defense continued to be the main problem in the start of the second half. CSKA tried to put the ball passing of CSK VVS under control but it worked out only by the end of the quarter.

The last period finally brought a solid play for CSKA. The team started with the 7-0 run with 5 points scored by Sergey Panov. And kept the rival on the distance of 10 points for almost all the playing time left. Only two 3-pointers in a row in the last minute – one by Panov, another by Holden helped to set the final score.