CSKA - Two Cups in One Week

By the start of the final game, the fans began to pile into the Sports Palace, which until then had been only half full. The only empty seats were behind the basket. Flags of CSKA and Russia appeared in the stands.

Efes Pilsen vs CSKA: 70-74

Holden, Brown, Monya, Turkcan and Savrasenko started the game for the Army team. The American duo for the red and blue started off the scoring with 3-pointers on the first two possessions. For the first time in the history of the Jubilee Arena, St. Petersburg fans were cheering for a Moscow club. The shouts of "CSKA" gave the impression that the game was being held in the Army club’s native city. Five minutes into the game, CSKA led 14-7. Antonio Granger was shut down by Sergey Monya, who didn’t give the Efes forward any room to move. But the Turks had the advantage on the boards. Efes center Kaja Peker put Alexei Savrasenko on the bench by the middle of the first quarter with 3 personal fouls. And the 23-year-old’s center 8 points put Efes within one basket of CSKA by the end of the quarter (20-18 in favor of the Moscow club).

In the second quarter, Sergey Panov began to warm up and, together with Brown, gave CSKA an 8-point lead (35-27) with two minutes remaining in the half. However, the Turks grabbed the momentum in the final minutes, closing the gap to 3 points, 37-34. But in the final seconds, Brown knocked down a 3-pointer to put CSKA up 39-34 going into the locker room.

The third quarter was evenly played, while two Efes players picked up their fourth fouls: Peker and guard Trajan Langdon. Only Savrasenko had four fouls for the Army team.

With two minutes gone in the fourth quarter, Kerem Tunceri drilled a 3-pointer, putting Efes even with CSKA for the first time in the game at 56-56. CSKA answered with 6 points from Brown, who dominated his former team on his way to becoming the game’s leading scorer (26 points on the night). Even after losing Granger and Prkacin to fouls, Efes continued to fight, however. With only 40 seconds remaining in the game, CSKA had a 4-point lead. The Turks resorted to fouling, but the strategy proved to be in vain. CSKA won 74-70, winning the cup.

In the past week the Army team won two international tournaments. The Moscow basketball players accepted their medals for their performance in St. Petersburg to the song "We Are the Champions" and the applause of the local fans. As the tournament closed, fans were treated to a video dedicated to the coach and player, to whom the tournament was dedicated.