Found a way to win
Our team finished the first leg of the first stage of the VTB League regular season by difficult win against Pari NN that did not have several key players...
Nizhniy Novgorod – PBC CSKA: 72-74 (+2)
Pari NN: Ivlev (4 + 2 as + 3 to + 4 pf), Novakovic (24 + 8 rb), Belenitskiy (6 + 4 rb + 4 pf), Baburin (8 + 4 rb + 4 as), Зоткин (20 + 7 as + 4 to) – start; Gankevich (3 rb + 2 as), Gankevich (10 + 4 as + 3 st), Apic (DNP), Strebkov (DNP), Rudovskiy (DNP)…
CSKA: Ware (8 + 4 as), Ukhov (5 + 5 rb), Astapkovich (18 + 3 rb + 2 as), Jean-Charles (12 + 5 rb), M'Baye (13 + 6 rb + 4 as + 3 to) – start; Mikhailovskii (3), Jekiri (2), Trimble (11 + 3 rb + 4 as + 5 to), Ruzhentsev (3 rb), Antonov (2), Kardanakhishvili (DNP), Gafurov (DNP)…
Emil Rajkovic, CSKA head coach:
First of all, congratulations to Nizhny. Having such problems with the roster, they were able to demonstrate high-quality basketball and give us headaches. We are surprised that without five key players, the Nizhny Novgorod team was able to put up a real fight. Our play on the court was far from what we had planned. After the victory against UNICS we relaxed. We looked especially relaxed in the first half; fortunately, we found a way to win in the second. We need to draw conclusions. Every person on our team, starting with me, needs to be more professional.
