CSKA — Khimki, 19 May 2016

Our team had to chase the opponent for a long stretch of the game but showed character and started the series against Khimki with hard-fought victory.

CSKA vs. Khimki Moscow region: 86-83 (+3)

CSKA: De Colo (6 + 3 to), D.Kulagin (1), Teodosic (27 + 7 as + 4 to), Fridzon (10 + 4 pf), Jackson (2), Korobkov (2), Vorontsevich (6 + 7 rb), Khryapa (8 + 5 rb + 5 as), Kurbanov (8), Hines (16 + 5 rb)…

Khimki: Rice (11 + 6 as + 4 to + 4 pf), Shved (32 + 3 rb + 4 as + 4 pf), Dragic (13 + 4 to), Augustine (6 + 8 rb), Boone (6 + 5 rb), Koponen (7), Monya (5 + 4 rb), Honeycutt (3 + 9 rb)…

Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:

First, I would like to thank the fans. They came to support us tonight and it was extremely important. That was a game of the energy, and we actually lacked energy, there are excuses, reasons for that, and you all know it. In this situation the fans lifted us, they gave us momentum. And I sincerely ask them to come again on Saturday even in bigger numbers because the series will be difficult. Talking about basketball we started the game reacting and not acting. We changed the approach in the 3rd and 4th quarters, we pushed off our defense and players’ hearts. We used 11 players, which was very much needed. Congratulations to the team with first victory. We want to be in the finals, to defend the title. And I see the desire in the eyes of the players, in their body language.