February 04, 2012
ROAD TO PARIS: CSKA Moscow
ROAD TO PARIS

If there is a team that has proven non-believers wrong this season, that has to be Euroleague powerhouse CSKA Moscow, which has risen above a raft of changes to make its eighth consecutive Final Four. Only Varese of Italy, which made it to every title game in the 1970s, has a bigger run to the European semifinals than CSKA's current Final Four streak.

Players CSKA celebrates in Vitoria

OFF-SEASON

CSKA seemed to be marking the end of an era once Ettore Messina stepped down as head coach while All-Euroleague big man Erazem Lorbek, forward Terence Morris and playmaker Nikos Zisis left the team. The bench job went to a former CSKA captain with only one year of head coaching experience, Evgeniy Pashutin. "This is something unbelievable, because leading CSKA, the best team in Russia and also in Europe, is any coach's dream," Pashutin said at the time. "I am very happy, but at the same time, am aware of the responsibility, because the club is fighting only for the highest place. It is a challenge, a great stage of life."

REGULAR SEASON

The fact that team captain Matjaz Smodis started the season injured, combined with all the departures in the summer, led to early doubts about CSKA. A pair of quick defeats dropped the team to 1-2 in its regular season group. The only win was fortunate, too, on a rainbow, buzzer-beating three-pointer by Viktor Khryapa for a 65-66 road win against Euroleague newcomer Maroussi.

"We didn't know what to think. One of the best coaches in the world left. Some players left. Nobody knew what to expect," Ramunas Siskauskas said later. "Especially in the beginning, the first games in the Euroleague and the Russian League were very, very difficult and tough."

Click here to see video


Once CSKA had time to adjust, however, the team rolled. CSKA won all seven of its remaining Group C games to finish first, with an 8-2 record. The turnaround was Game 5 in Vitoria, Spain, a 67-71 victory over Caja Laboral behind 24 points from Siskauskas. CSKA was running a new offense in which Khryapa thrived at power forward. His ballhandling, all-around defense, physical skills and court vision got all his teammates involved, too. Sasha Kaun, a backup big man last season, became a dominant force at center , taking advantage of his team's many pick-and-rolls and rebounding really well at both ends.

"Coach Pashutin figured out what was the best way for me to play to help the team," Khryapa said about his new role, "but I am glad to do it, because I enjoy playing that way."

TOP 16

Far from being done, CSKA stayed on fire at the start of the Top 16. Siskauskas had 23 points to lead CSKA to an opening 86-78 home win against Unicaja. CSKA went on to thrash Zalgiris 68-83 on the road in Kaunas behind 17 points from Langdon, then improved to 3-0 with a solid 84-73 home win against Asseco Prokom in which Kaun had 18 points and 10 rebounds. It marked the end of a 10-game winning streak that confirmed for everyone in European basketball that CSKA was here to stay.

Sasha Kaun - CSKA Moscow

"CSKA plays as one," opposing head coach Tomas Pacesas of Prokom said after the game in Moscow. "Khryapa, Kaun and Andrey Vorontsevich made big progress this year, and their backcourt of Holden, Langdon, Siskauskas and Planinic is surely the best in Europe."

Despite losing its rematch with Prokom on the road, and staying away for the next Top 16 game, CSKA wasted no more time in sealing its playoff spot. Showing more bench depth than it was given credit for, CSKA held off a strong rally by host Unicaja to grab a 70-76 road win in Malaga, Spain that made the visitors Group G champions. Siskauskas led the winners with 16 points while late heroics by Vorontsevich and Anton Ponkrashov made sure that CSKA would avoid the drama of trying to advance in the last Top 16 game. Instead, its home fans in Moscow got to enjoy an easy victory over visiting Zalgiris as another backup player, center Pops Mensah-Bonsu, scored 19 points. Not only did CSKA dominate its Top 16 group, but it showed itself to be a deeper team than many thought previously.

"Once you come to CSKA, you know what your'e wlaking into," J.R. Holden told Euroleague.TV at the time. "We're a team that's going to compete, going to play defense, and everyone is going to sacrifice. We're a team, and winning is number one."

PLAYOFFS

As a Top 16 group champion, CSKA had the home court advantage in the best-of-five Quarterfinal Playoffs series against Caja Laboral - and got the most out of it. CSKA stormed into this year's playoffs with a resounding 86-63 win against Laboral in Game 1 behind 15 points and 7 rebounds from Vorontsevich, who led 5 players in double digits. Just two days later, CSKA downed Laboral 83-63 in Game 2 to register its 14th win in 15 Euroleague showdowns. Khryapa had 14 points and his all-around efforts caused him to be chosen as the Euroleague March MVP.

"I was afraid that after the blowout win in Game 1 the players will show disrespect to the opponent, but that was not the case," Pashutin right said after Game 2. "Now, we will start to prepare for the next game. This the playoffs and anything can happen. Caja Laboral plays different basketball at home."

Click here to see video


Laboral proved Pashutin's words to be really accurate, as it played with a different attitude, intensity and mentality in front of its own fans. In fact, Laboral won Game 3 by 66-53 and had a 59-49 lead after 33 minutes in Game 4. CSKA needed a comeback and found a go-to guy in Holden, who had 16 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter. Holden had 10 of those on 3 three-point shots and the free throw that came with one of them to set up a game-tying triple by Siskauskas, and also sank the go-ahead jumper in the final minute. With that amazing rally, CSKA completed its incredible run and reached the Final Four. Ambitious as always, CSKA is ready to fight for the Euroleague title, starting with the semifinal against Regal FC Barcelona.

"I'm very happy for CSKA. This will be my second Euroleague Final Four, as I arrived to this team last year," Kaun said minutes after Game 4. "I feel very excited for this success. Hopefully, we can go further than we did last year."

SUMMATION

There is little doubt that the experience of players who combine for 11 Euroleague titles and 33 Final Four appearances has sustained CSKA this season. Apart from the younger Kaun, CSKA's four veterans - Siskauskas, Khryapa, Holden and Langdon - have all tallied almost 31 minutes on average this season, 18 more than last one. At the same time, Coach Pashutin knew to rely on them while a bench that revolved with players either new or young developed over the course of the season. The same recipe - hard-nosed defense and precision offense - worked in the end, giving Pashutin an already-successful debut. He can prepare the Final Four knowing that his veterans will be rested and ready for whatever 48 hours in Paris requires of them to succeed.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Euroleague.net
PrintPrint SendSend ShareShare

Submenu


FINAL FOUR TEAMS

FINAL FOUR SCHEDULE
SEMIFINALS - FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2010
3RD PLACE - SUNDAY, MAY 9, 2010
FINAL - SUNDAY, MAY 9, 2010

DEVOTION

PHOTO GALLERY
Victor Sada - Regal FC Barcelona - Final Four Paris 2010

PAST FINAL FOURS