KAZAN NEXT“-13” in Greece is unlikely to drive Dynamo uncontrollably forward. Muscovites are not yet so spoiled to allow themselves to count the balls - to achieve a more comfortable place on the eve of the Top 16. In the end, everything worked out, just like in a pharmacy (thanks again for the standard quote to UNIX coach Antanas Sireika). “+15” is exactly the result that puts a blue and white line above the Greeks in case of equal points.
But in order to keep the “silver” line, excellent for the Euroleague debutant, at the preliminary stage, Dynamo will have to puff pretty hard next week in Istanbul. The local “Ephesus Pilsen” is now good: in the last round the Turks finished “Olympiakos” even more cleanly than Muscovites - “+19”, and away!
After yesterday’s meeting, two nightmares forced the Piraeus basketball players to shake their heads amicably and disapprovingly: they have it, we have a crisis ... But the impulsive and shocking coach of the Greek superclub Pini Gershon even refused to attend a compulsory post-match press conference. .
However, these are the problems of the Greeks - not ours. There were enough of them with an annoying excess at the start of the season. But injured recovered, the game stabilized, and, if not always, Dynamo began to demonstrate solid basketball. That is how, solidly and measuredly, Muscovites stubbornly spoiled the mood of the Greek club. Predicting the Olympiakos focus on neutralizing the bloodthirsty in the three-second Papadopoulos zone, the coach of the blue and white Dusan Ivkovic deliberately chose a different attacking style. Lazar pulled on himself guardians, which formed free zones for the turbulent Popovich and the outrageously bold Hansen (a couple of times after Travis's harsh and obviously painful landings on the mortal bodies of his opponents, his heart sank unpleasantly). As a result, the Piraeans, unprepared for such a turn of the plot (as, incidentally, for the amazing "three-pointer parade" of the blond American), in search of a lifebuoy, lost a terrifying amount of ball, which made the stands fun. 8 losses of Ecker and 6 - Penn - without exaggeration, the stars of European basketball - a strange and terrible indicator for Olympiacos.
Nevertheless, after the uncontested and categorical losses of the first two quarters, the Greeks started up and dominated in the third period. This was facilitated by the fourth foul of the main playmaker Popovich, and non-stop experiments with the composition sought to provide rest to the leaders of Ivkovic. In the middle of ten minutes, the Greeks reduced the gap to "-4". Then it was thought that just defeating a formidable opponent would be enough. But no - increasing pressure under the shields and tenaciously biting into the nimble “little” “Olympiacos”, “Dynamo” held one of the best quarters of the season and defeated a true grand. "+15" with Piraeans is not just a status victory. This is a serious claim that the business is not limited to the modest goal of getting into the Top-16 designated by the leadership in the summer. It is good to.
CATALON SURPRISEThe remaining houses, David Vanterpool and Matyaz Smodis, are not just the desire of the CSKA coaches to allow the leaders to relax and recover. We bet if the match in the capital of Catalonia made any sense, both of them would fly to Barcelona. And so, Ettore Messina had another great reason for motivation: to try to cope with one of the strongest European teams at a party and without the participation of a pair of leading players. Nobody would blame for the defeat. Victory would bring a useful boost of self-confidence.
Still - this is another reason to test the young in the present case. Andrei Vorontsevich, for example, appeared on the floor in the first quarter - remember when this happened? True, he lasted only three minutes - until Juan Carlos Navarro in the passage under the shield "inadvertently" did not "charge" the young man in the head. Foul in the attack, but Vorontsevich did not dare to throw into battle anymore. Nikita Kurbanov and Anton Ponkrashov spent much more substantial periods of time. The meaning in this turned out to be purely educational.
“There was a feeling that we all look at the clock and think only about when it will all end,” the CSKA coach reasoned. “After the break, we decided to support the reputation and prove that it could turn the tide of the game.” Youth experiments lasted exactly half a match, which was enough for Messina to once again conclude - not that level.
In the third quarter at "-16" came out entirely veterans. And rushed in pursuit, starting with 7 unanswered points. Gradually getting close to the opponent, the army team almost won the victory in normal time. But Jay.Ar.Holden, who scored the hardest ball from five meters at the last minute, did not manage to foul on the brisk Yak Lakovich, a long “treshka” equalizing the score for moments before the siren.
It turned out that the “three” of the Slovenian defender only enraged CSKA, who felt that he had taken away a well-deserved victory. The guests spent overtime with amazing efficiency, unconstrainedly and beautifully packing a ring of dumbfounded rivals. If Dushko Ivanovich expected something similar from the leader of the group, he did not manage to build a concrete plan. Or could not.
Nikita GOLOVANOV
Nikolai TSYNKEVICH