CSKA in the finals: first step to the last trophy of the year

23.05.2006
Nikita Kurbanov (photo T. Makeeva)
CSKA won the first game of the final series. Khimki started the game with the 5-0 run but it did not take the Army club long to even the score. By the half time the host team was leading by 12 points and then made another 8-0 run.

CSKA - Khimki: 82-59

Ettore Messina, CSKA head coach:

- It was a very strange game. Khimki tried to keep their energy for the other games of the series. I guess they would be focused on winning the match tomorrow when they would have Wolkowisky. In the kind of situation it was very hard for my players to concentrate on the game and I am happy they did it.

Sergey Elevich, Khimki head coach:

- My players are still tired after the game in St.Petersburg. They were not focused on the defense in the way I wanted them to. I am sure that the only way to win a game against CSKA is to play hard defense. Almost without mistakes. Tonight our game was full of mistakes and that was the reason for us to miss the key CSKA offensive run in the start of the 3rd quarter. Probably we would have another game with Ruban Wolkowisky on the roster. But he has problem with his eye, tomorrow in the morning we are going to visit the doctor and he would make it clear how long it might take the player to recover.

Photos
Nikita Kurbanov 10 points + 9 rebounds (photo Y. Kuzmin)
Theodoros Papaloukas 6 points + 10 asists (photo T. Makeeva)
David Vanterpool 9 points + 5 rebounds (photo T. Makeeva)
Matjaz Smodis 15 points  (photo T. Makeeva)
Tomas Van Den Spiegel (photo Y. Kuzmin)
Alexey Savrasenko (photo Y. Kuzmin)
Zakhar Pashutin 12 points  (photo T. Makeeva)
Trajan Langdon 12 points (photo M. Serbin)
Sergey Panov (photo T. Makeeva)
Jon Robert Holden (photo T. Makeeva)
Vasiliy Zavoruev (photo T. Makeeva)
Vladimir Dyachok (photo T. Makeeva)
CSKA (photo M. Serbin)
Ettore Messina (photo M. Serbin)
CSKA dance team (photo M. Serbin)
Viktor Khryapa and Andrey Kirilenko (photo M. Serbin)
CSKA fans (photo T. Makeeva)
CSKA fans (photo T. Makeeva)