The strong-willed victory in Istanbul over the “Ephesus Pilsen” white-blue again struck with perseverance in achieving the goal. The deployment on the territory of the Euroleague battles in earnest and for a long time in contrast to the current dominant status of “caliph for the season” (due to success in the ULEB Cup 2005/06) is a significant project of Dynamo management. However, reaching out to heaven ULEB - rational and mercantile first persons of the organization organizing the competition - will not be easy. Euroleague is a commercial tournament with Olympic principles familiar from firsthand, logically oriented to the market. But the Dynamo team has already made the right move - not at the negotiating table, but on the basketball floor. And hopefully this is just the beginning.
Paperwork for the triumphal entry into paradise of the tempting first basket turned out to be laborious. Before the intercircular equator, “Ephesus Pilsen” managed to concede the disappointing “Le Mans” and “Klimamio” in their native walls. Now the Istanbul host has noticeably added and seemed, if not unconditional, but a favorite. Yes, and started for health.
Kucho entered the unrestrained rage in three seconds, and he got so excited that in the starting quarter-shootout he eclipsed Papadopoulos. The Albanian Turk started up so thoroughly that he was not surprised even by an unusual “three” in his performance. The stray bullet was the catalyst for the first Istanbul acceleration.
The gap before the big break, however, was only four points. The reason for this is not only the Dynamo defense that has figured out the migrations along the trapeze of the "big" rivals, but also the protracted foolishness of the Levitation master Heyslip, the confusion of the best Euroleague 2005/06 sniper Nicholas, and the habitually egocentric "playmaker" manner in large Jenkins quotes.
After a 15-minute pause, the process of adapting to the tactical tactics of the Istanbul coach Oktay Makhmuti continued. In addition, after the non-brilliant starting half, the Greeks woke up. Papadopoulos and Fotsis seemed to have recalled school history lessons about the long-term oppression of Hellas by the Ottoman Empire and set to work rolling up their sleeves. Almost every attack of both teams ended in an epic battle of the center - Lazaros and Kucho. Opponents did not hesitate to engage courageous giants. As a result, the Turk sunk was only enough for the third quarter, in which the Dynamo team managed to catch up and overtake the presumptuous opponents. And at the end of the meeting, Lazaros subsided. The classic "swing" began with trembling hands and unexpected hits. As a result, the title of antihero was awarded to the ill-fated Jenkins. After the next (and this time productive) pass with a saber naked on the American under the Dynamo shield, compassionate referees issued an unsportsmanlike foul to Fotsisu. The ball was kept by the Turks, but you can’t imagine the worst they could do - the farewell sour-milk “julies” of Jenkins draw a line under the whole smooth game - 76:72, the victory of Muscovites.
A journalistic truism and, nevertheless, a fact: fans of blue and white should not be seduced by the excellent debut. The upcoming Top 16 is not just another tournament. This is a sprint race without the right to a hitch, with almost no random participants. And, perhaps, without them at all. Muscovites will come across, say, the notorious “death group” with the champions of Spain and Italy “Unicaja” and “Benetton”, correspondingly coming to senses, plus, probably, not the most convenient for the wards of Ivkovic’s tough “Aris” - and go around! But if it does, then later. And now you can quietly or loudly rejoice. Let at the preliminary stage, but still: two Russian teams - in the quartet of the strongest Euroleague. Nice damn it!
Nikita GOLOVANOV