“Olympiakos”, in order to claim leadership in the group E Top-16, had to play the crazy difference of 21 points made by the army team in Piraeus. It is unlikely that the guests seriously suggested that this was possible. At least Pini Gershon, who twice won the Euroleague in the XXI century, only said at a press conference that CSKA was stronger. That and that. In more transfers and more fouls earned. In excellent coaching. In support of the fans, many of whom, it seems, simply did not fit in a tight USK - minutes before the start, the apple had nowhere to fall at the main entrance and the ticket office.
Yes, the army team spent a terrible first quarter, in which they made so many mistakes (technical, in the choice of shots, incorrect decisions) that would be enough for the average Euroleague match. They spent a very mediocre first half, miraculously won with a slight difference.
The percentage of hits was terrifying, and even Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov during a break said in journalistic microphones that CSKA did not show its famous defense. True.
“You can’t imagine how difficult it is to tune in to such a match,” Ettore Messina said later. “I’ll give an example. When I won the Euroleague with Kinder, we were in a similar situation. In the home match of the last round, we could lose to Real Madrid 25 points - and would have gone further. As a result, they lost 22, almost disgraced. But then it was not the boys who played in my team - Ginobili, Yarich, Rygodo, Griffith! "
Perhaps the current composition of CSKA will be more serious. Morally more stable. Or not, more flexible in thought. Take Matjaz Smodis. Having received the prize of the best player of February in the Euroleague before the start of the match, the Slovenian was more like a beginner. In the first attack, he received a block shot from Burusis and generally looked lost. He spent almost all of the first quarter on the bench and again looked like an MVP. Almost all the key points were resolved by Smodis. In the second quarter he hit the “three”, he immediately earned the right to free kicks and, to the surprise of the public, missed both. But after the selection, Savrasenko sent another three-pointer into the ring, as if to say - the heroes of the easy ways are not looking. And after a moment, he slammed a slam dunk with a foul. Matyazha had important hits in the second half, but the main thing was that he worked great in defense against the immense Schorziantis - both in the famous Messinian mixed “zone” and personally.
Or take Holden. In the first half of his game I wanted to spit. Jay shot unrealistic balls at the target, as if imagining that everything would fly at the target - as in Badalone. He made losses during the first pass, allowing the high-speed back line of Olympiacos Penn - Aker to fly off in fast breaks. What happened to the American leader of the Russian national team after the break? The peak of Holden’s transformation was the ending in which he hit the “three rubles”, and in the next attack he climbed into the free three-second one. There, instead of a lightweight hinged throw, so characteristic of John-Robert, to the surprise of the dumbfounded Greeks, he threw Anderson into the corner, and he redirected Langdon, who was open on the arc. Trajan was almost perfect that day.
The tactics of the ending were also impeccable, the outcome of which did not matter for both sides. The use of fouls allowed "Olya" to the last keep hope for overtime. Trained and that's enough. This CSKA can’t lose. Even when he is allowed.
Nikolai TSYNKEVICH