CSKA won the first game of the Top 16. The teams struggle hard for the first 2 quarters but then CSKA put some more efforts to the defense and got 20 points lead but did not manage to keep it until the final buzz...
CSKA – DKV Joventut: 81-69
Ettore Messina, CSKA head coach:
We didn't start the game well and we didn't play good on defense until after halftime. We gave up 45 points in the first half, which is a pace for 90 points in a whole game, and you know that we are not the kind of team that can win in that kind of situation. In the second half, Trajan Langdon was excellent on Rudy Fernandez and all our players held their positions on defense better than before, and that helped us get a 20-point lead. The only regret I have is that we didn't manage to keep that until the end, which could be important in the future. Oscar Torres has been with the team for only one practice, but anyway was able to help us, and will be able to in the future. I also think that J.R. Holden played a very important role in this victory.
Aito Garcia Reneses, DKV Joventut head coach:
- We started the game very well, with good intensity, but after some minutes, CSKA started to defend us better. We made another run in the second quarter, but after the halftime break, CSKA played very strongly, especially on defense, and we almost gave up. In the last minutes, we managed to cut their lead thanks to our fastbreaks. The most disappointing thing is that Lubos Barton came out of the game with a shoulder injury.
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