May 20, 2013
Quarter Final Game 1 - April 11, 2008 CET: 21:00 Local time: 21:00 - PALAVELA
Akasvayu Girona 75 - 66 Unics Kazan

Records

Ave.   Ave.
0-0 Final 0-0
0-0 Semi-Final 0-0
0-0 Quarter Final 0-0
2-0 Last 16 1-1
1-1 Last 32 1-1
7-3 Regular Season 5-5
10-4 Overall 7-7

Referees

Crew Chief
FACCHINI, FABIO, Italy
Referee
ROCHA, FERNANDO, Portugal
Umpire
LEFWERTH, OSCAR, Sweden

Team Stats

Ave.   Ave.
83.2 Points 81.1
31.8 Rebounds 36.2
7.9 O. Rebounds 12.4
23.9 D. Rebounds 23.8
16.3 Assists 15.0
8.7 Steals 11.3
3.3 Blocks 2.8
14.1 Turnovers 13.6
57.7 % 2PT 56.0 %
38.9 % 3PT 31.9 %
76.7 % FT 67.9 %
99.4 Index 91.4
Team Stats - Akasvayu Girona
Team Stats - Unics Kazan

Player Stats

Ave.   Ave.
13.4 / GASOL, M. Points 14.0 / KIRKSAY, TARIQ
5.9 / GASOL, M. Rebounds 9.1 / KIRKSAY, TARIQ
1.4 / GASOL, M. OR 2.3 / KIRKSAY, TARIQ
4.6 / GASOL, M. DR 6.9 / KIRKSAY, TARIQ
4.4 / Sada Assists 4.0 / MCCOLLOUGH, J.
1.3 / Sada Steals 2.0 / KIRKSAY, TARIQ
1.4 / GASOL, M. Blocks 2.4 / Lavrinovic, D.
2.4 / Sada Turnovers 3.1 / Lavrinovic, D.
67.7 % / Sada 2PT 67.9 % / Lavrinovic, D.
52.4 % / MCDONALD, ARRIEL 3PT 38.3 % / KIRKSAY, TARIQ
86.7 % / CVETKOVIC, BRANKO FT 90.0 % / TUSEK, MARKO
20.1 / GASOL, M. Index 21.1 / KIRKSAY, TARIQ
Team Roster - Akasvayu Girona
Team Roster - Unics Kazan

THE TAKE

Akasvayu Girona looks to continue its impressive ULEB Cup debut season by reaching the semifinals, but faces a massive challenge in a semifinalist from last season, Unics Kazan. Head coach Pedro Martinez's Akasvayu advanced to the quarterfinals by sweeping Hemofarm in the Last 16, winning by 9 on the road before wrapping up the series at home. The focal point for Martinez has been center Marc Gasol, who collected 19 points 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocks in Game 1 and played a big part in holding Hemofarm big man Vladan Vukosavljevic scoreless in the first game. Unics, which lost to eventual champion Real Madrid in the semis last year, earned a spot by beating Artland Dragons in the Last 16. Center Darjus Lavrinovic was outstanding in both games, averaging 22 points, 12 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 blocks. The talent and recent play of each team’s center sets up a mouth-watering duel between two of the finest pivotmen on the continent. However this game will be more than just Gasol vs Lavrinovic, as both teams have supreme depth on their rosters. One of Unics’s most important players is rebounding king Tariq Kirksay, while power forward Dusko Savanovic has emerged as a solid scoring option alongside veteran shooter Sergei Chikalkin. Akasvayu is a team of multiple weapons, with experienced point guard Arriel McDonald directing traffic and setting up the likes of Gasol, Branko Cvetkovic and Erik Daniels. An important factor for Akasvayu could be the performance of forward Fernando San Emeterio, who is expected to play with a protective mask after suffering a cheekbone injury two weeks ago that has required surgery. One area that could prove meaningful is offensive rebounding, where Unics is the best on the competition with 12.4 per game, while Akasvayu in among the worst with 7.9 per game. Unics’s defense has improved dramatically since head coach Aca Petrovic took over in December, with the team holding the opposition to 65 points or less five times in eight games and winning every one. However Unics is 2-7 this season when surrendering at least 70 points. Meanwhile the high-powered Akasvayu attack has scored more than 90 points five times this season. Accordingly the battle for the tempo of the game, highlighted by McDonald against Unics playmaker Jerry McCullough, could become a deciding factor. Experience is on McDonald’s side as a two-time continental trophy winner, but McCullough, a three-time ULEB Cup quarterfinalist, who is among the top 10 assisters in ULEB Cup history, also has what it takes to emerge as the hero in what shapes up as an evenly matched Final Eight game that should keep fans on the edge of their seats.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
ULEBCup.com

Quotes Head Coaches

MARTINEZ, PEDRO
Akasvayu Girona
"We are excited to be in the Final Eight. We are eager to get far here. We are in a good moment I think, with many players going throgh a sweet phase both mentally and physically. Joventut is having an almost perfect season and from our side of the bracket, Dynamo is probably the most powerful team of the lot with top-notch names in the roster. The games can always be decided by the small details but it is always difficult to see how the game will be when you play a team that is not on your own league. Unics has a more physical style than us but we already know that and we have to compensate it with aggressiveness to be strong in the rebounds and control their one on one. I think that any player must have the goal to win, if after that you do everything you can and you do not succeed, you can at least consider your job done. From the start line I think the eight teams in Turin have the goal of winning the ULEB Cup."
PETROVIC, ACO
Unics Kazan
"We are in a good moment. We can have the third place in the Russian League which seemed impossible on December 1 when I took over thisbench. Only Lavrinovic is having some shoulder problems these last days and I don't know what his condition will be come Final Eight time. Akasvayu Girona is a strong team with a clear referent: Marc Gasol. But the tourney is being played on neutral ground and that opens the possibilities for all of us. It will all depend on the players inspiration and the small details. To win we have to stop or limit Gasol and then take care of their shooters like San Emeterio, Cvetkovic, Sada or McDonald, an expert guard whom we have to prevent from leading the team on court. Being among the 8 best from 54 that started the competition is a success in itself, but that doesn't mean we don't want more. We will think about the semis after the quarters. For me, the top candidates are DKV Joventut and Dynamo Moscow but the reat of us have not travelled all the way just to lose."

Players

MCDONALD, ARRIEL
Akasvayu Girona
"We come off a big win that gave us stability in the Spanish League and that also allows us to get to Turin with confidence and optimistic. Unics had a lot of time to prepare the game. They probably know us very well not only one by one but also as a team. On the other hand, they have not played a game for a while and someone who lose competitiveness in such a situation. I am in a good moment, physically speaking, and that allows me to play with more confidence. All of us are in one of the best moments this season, from the first player to the last. We have got used to play together at a very high level and that can only be good for us."
SAN EMETERIO, FERNANDO
Akasvayu Girona
"I feel good wearing the mask. It is very comfortable taking into account that it covers part of your face. I don't know if I will be able to give 100% on court this Friday, but I feel I can definitely help the team. We have a lot of ambition and are excited for being in the ULEB Cup Final Eight. We are in a good moment, but at the same time, we know that Unics Kazan will not be an easy opponent. They are an experienced team in this competition and are having a great season in the Russian League, too. We only think about the first game. The semifinal is far, far away from us now. This is a competition system in which only the next game matters. Thinking further than the first game could be a mistake."
KEYRU, VICTOR
Unics Kazan
"It feels good to be in the ULEB Cup Final Eight here in Torino. There were 54 teams at the beginning of the competition and now we are down to just eight. Now the goal is to win the ULEB Cup title. I must say we are in a good moment and ready for the challenge. It is not about what we have to do to beat tomorrow. We just have to be them to make it to the next round amd play two more game here in Torino. I think we have a very good chance for that. Of course, defense will be the biggest key, especially against such a good team like Akasvayu Girona. We have to play good defense, because Akasvayu likes to run the floor and get fast break opportunities. We must stop them from doing that."
KURBANOV, NIKITA
Unics Kazan
"We are ready for tomorrow's game. We are aware that the first game is the most important one. Only the teams that win the first games get the chance to keep trying to win the ULEB Cup. We are all feeling good and ready for the game against Akasvayu. I don't think we have to do anything special. We will continue to play our game, the same as we have in recent weeks. It all starts with defense, and we have been a very good defensive team lately. It is also important to stop their team leaders, like Gasol, McDonald, Sada and San Emeterio. If we do that, we have good chances to win the game. I have played the Euroleague Final Four, the best basketball in Europe, twice before, but the ULEB Cup Final Eight is also a very good tournament. Of course, there are some differences, because the Euroleague is the Euroleague, but this is still great basketball and we have to enjoy it as much as we can."
Arriel Mcdonald - Akasvayu Girona - Final Eight Turin 2008 Akasvayu Girona became the last team to advance to the ULEB Cup semifinals by beating Unics Kazan 75-66 in the last game of the quarterfinals at Palavela in Turin, Italy on Friday night. Akasvayu will keep fighting for ULEB Cup glory and will face Dynamo Moscow in the next round. Meanwhile, Unics Kazan finished its ULEB Cup run this season and missed star center Darjus Lavrinovic, who did not play due to a last-minute back injury. Arriel McDonald and Marc Gasol paced the winners each with 19 points. Branko Cvetkovic had 14 while Ivan Radenovic added 10 for Akasvayu, that will go against his coach last season, Svetislav Pesic, now in Dynamo Moscow. Dusko Savanovic and Sergei Chikalkin each had 12 points for Unics, Tariq Kirksay added 11 while Virgil Stanescu got 10. Chikalkin and Kirksay shined in the first quarter, but a layup by Gasol allowed Akasvayu to get a 25-24 edge after 10 minutes. Akasvayu did not trail in the second quarter, but an outstanding Savanovic helped Unics to tie the game, 36-36, at halftime. A dunk by Victor Keyru gave Unics its last lead of the game, 42-43, but that's when McDonald decided to take over. He had all points in a 7-0 Akasvayu run and soon added a jumper for a 59-50 lead after 30 minutes. Unics did not recover, as Radenovic and Cvetkovic made sure that all Akasvayu fans could celebrate a big win minutes before the final buzzer.

Unics started Dmitry Sokolov started at center in place of Lavrinovic, but he had troubles right away. Gasol stole the first pass to him and drew Sokolov's first two fouls in less than a minute. Gasol made 1 of 2 free throws to start the scoring, while Jerry McCullough came the other way, got fouled and put Unics ahead 1-2 at the line. Erik Daniels of Akasvayu and Kirksay of Unics traded inside baskets before Sokolov got whistled for his third foul and left. Cvetkovic scored in close for Akasvayu, as did Virgil Stanescu for Unics. McDonald took the lead back for Akasvayu at 7-6 on a floating jumper. Cvetkovic tried to widen the advantage with a triple, but Sergei Chikalkin matched him from deep. When McDonald insisted, blasting from the corner for Akasvayu, Chikalkin copied him, too. The tug-of-war continued with Gasol and Kirksay trading baskets before Chikalkin scored again to keep Unics up 14-15. Victor Sada missed both his free throws for Akasvayu, but put back the rebound of his second miss to put his team back in front. Kirksay tied at the foul line, 17-17, then Cvetkovic hit a jumper to keep Akasvayu in front. After a timeout, Kirksay went back inside to tie, Ivan Radenovic answered for Akasvayu and Stanescu forged another tie, 21-21. After Maurice Whitfield hit free throws for Akasvayu, Stanescu tied it putting back one offensive rebound and got the go-ahead free throw after another, but Akasvayu found Gasol inside to finish the first quarter ahead by 25-24.

Tariq Kirksay - Unics Kazan - Final Eight Turin 2008Unics kept rebounding well at both ends but could not find points early in the second quarter. Meanwhile, Stanescu picked up his third foul, making Unics head coach Aco Petrovic open the floor with Dusko Savanovic and Marko Tusek on court. Both teams went scoreless for almost 2 minutes until Fernando San Emeterio stepped up with a running jumper for Unics. His team then struggled to find points in a four-chance possession after which a layup by Gasol gave Akasvayu a 29-24 lead. Kirksay, now playing point forward, took over with a floating jump hook that Keyru followed with a layup at 29-28. Gasol scored inside but the ever-present Kirksay collected a steal and fed Savanovic for an easy basket. McDonald struck from downtown to restore a 34-30 Akasvayu edge. Unics called timeout to fix its offense and Savanovic sank a five-meter jumper. Gasol made free throws, however, as Unics kept missing second-chance possessions now. Savanovic took over with a wild driving layup to single-handedly bring Unics within 36-34. Once again a red-hot Savanovic hit a jumper off a pick-and-roll with Chikalkin for a 36-36 tie at halftime.

Cvetkovic scored in penetration right after the break while Daniels added an acrobatic layup for a 40-36 Akasvayu lead. Unics opted to attack the basket, too, where it was already rebounding well on offense. Stanescu scored in a second-chance Unics offense but Gasol fed Cvetkovic for a tough reverse layup. McCullough struck from downtown while Keyru dunked it off a midcourt steal as Unics regained the lead at 42-43. Akasvayu struggled to score now until Daniels and Gasol made free throws to provide another lead change, 45-43, midway through this quarter. Chikalkin sank a jumper off a screen but Gasol matched it with a two-handed dunk. McDonald scored off a steal for a four-point Akasvayu lead at 49-45. Tusek fired in a shot from downtown but McDonald followed free throws with a fastbreak layup to keep his team ahead, 53-48. Unics had lost control on offense while McDonald - who else? - sank a three-pointer to cap a personal 7-0 run that made Unics call timeout at 56-48. Kirksay switched to point forward again while Nikita Kurbanov made free throws. McDonald was unstoppable, however, and hit his trademark stop-and-pop jumper. A free throw by Whitfield fixed the score at 59-50 for Akasvayu after three quarters.

Marc Gasol - Akasvayu Girona - Final Eight Turin 2008Savanovic had a big block on Daniels early in the fourth quarter while a free throw by Stanescu gave his team some hope at 59-51. Radenovic took over with a three-point play, however, enough for Akasvayu to get its first double-digit lead at 62-51. Kirksay scored around the basket but Radenovic shined with a layup in transition to make Unics call timeout at 64-53 with 7 minutes to go. Akasvayu had already entered the foul bonus, however, so Unics tried to go the foul line as often as possible. It was Cvetkovic, however, who did not miss from the foul line to make it a 12-point game, 66-54. Savanovic made free throws and soon added a put-back layup to bring Unics within single digits, 66-58. Akasvayu quickly called timeout and Gasol stepped up with a big basket in the low post. Unics was running out of time and kept trying to attack the basket. McCullough hit more foul shots that Radenovic erased with an easy layup. Unics kept trying but it was already too little, to late, as Akasvayu was already in the ULEB Cup semifinals!

Friday, April 11, 2008
Javier Gancedo, Turin, Italy
Referees: FACCHINI, FABIO (ITA), ROCHA, FERNANDO (POR), LEFWERTH, OSCAR (SWE)
Attendance: 4790
By Quarter1234
Akasvayu Girona25112316
Unics Kazan24121416
End of Quarter1234
Akasvayu Girona25365975
Unics Kazan24365066
Head coach: MARTINEZ, PEDRO
Akasvayu Girona
# Player Min Pts 2FG
M-A
 3FG
M-A
 FT
M-A
 Rebounds As St To Bl Fouls PIR
O D T Fv Ag Cm Rv
5 CVETKOVIC, BRANKO 28:20 14 4/5 1/3 3/6 1 4 5 1 1 1     3 5 16
8 SADA, VICTOR 26:15 2 1/2 0/1 0/2 1 5 6 8 1 4     4 1 6
10 MCDONALD, ARRIEL 34:08 19 4/4 3/7 2/2         1 2     2 2 14
11 NAGYS, TOMAS DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
15 DANIELS, ERIK 21:36 6 2/5 0/1 2/3   3 3 1 1 4   1   2 3
18 MONTAÑEZ, ROMAN DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
19 SAN EMETERIO, FERNANDO 17:32 2 1/2 0/1     4 4     2 1   3 1 1
32 WHITFIELD, MAURICE 13:45 3     3/4         1       2 2 3
33 GASOL, MARC 31:48 19 6/8 0/1 7/10 2 2 4 3 2 4 2   2 8 26
44 MIDDLETON, DARRYL DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
55 RADENOVIC, IVAN 26:36 10 4/6 0/2 2/3   5 5     1     4 3 8
Team                                
Totals 200:00 75 22/32 4/16 19/30 4 23 27 13 7 18 3 1 20 24 77
68.8% 25% 63.3%
Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating
Head coach: PETROVIC, ACO
Unics Kazan
# Player Min Pts 2FG
M-A
 3FG
M-A
 FT
M-A
 Rebounds As St To Bl Fouls PIR
O D T Fv Ag Cm Rv
7 LAVRINOVIC, DARJUS DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
8 SERGEEV, PAVEL DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
10 PADIUS, NIKOLAY 5:24   0/1 0/1   1   1             1  
15 CHIKALKIN, SERGEI 20:48 12 3/7 2/4         1       1     6
17 TUSEK, MARKO 23:58 5 0/3 1/6 2/4 1 2 3     1   2 2 2 -5
20 SOKOLOV, DMITRY 15:57 2 1/3     1   1     1     5 1 -4
21 KIRKSAY, TARIQ 32:49 11 5/7 0/4 1/2 3 4 7 4 3 4     3 2 13
23 KEYRU, VICTOR 23:48 5 2/3 0/3 1/2 1 1 2 1 3       3 3 6
24 MCCULLOUGH, JERRY 29:38 7   1/3 4/4   6 6 1 3 3     4 3 11
30 SAVANOVIC, DUSKO 25:07 12 5/7 0/2 2/2 1 4 5   2 3 1   3 2 12
31 STANESCU, VIRGIL 17:33 10 4/7 0/2 2/6 4 1 5           4 4 6
40 KURBANOV, NIKITA 4:58 2   0/1 2/2           1       2 2
Team           1   1 1             2
Totals 200:00 66 20/38 4/26 14/22 13 18 31 8 11 13 1 3 24 20 49
52.6% 15.4% 63.6%
This game is not yet played

Head Coaches

MARTINEZ, PEDRO
Akasvayu Girona
"It was a game as we expected, which is to say difficult for us. In the first half, Unics dominated the rhythm and played as they wanted, with long possessions that were not comfortable for us. They had a lot, I would say too many, offensive rebounds, and those led to easy baskets. In the second half, we were able to correct that problem and from there we got control of the game. In the third quarter, Arriel McDonald managed to change the momentum by hitting some big shots, and then with the help of his teammates we were able to keep control. Arriel is a player with a competitive spirit, and today he showed that. We are hoping that in a competition like this, almost without any rest, which is very tough for everyone, that each day we will have players who play above their normal level. I'm not saying a lot above their normal level, but a little. Today, Arriel has been that player, but I am sure that tomorrow they'll plan a defense to stop him. I think we are a good team and we have to come up with other options from among our other players."
PETROVIC, ACO
Unics Kazan
"First, congratulations to Girona. They really played well, above all in the third quarter, when the game was decided. We defended badly against the pick-and-roll and situations in the low post. We had a couple chances to get closer in the last quarter, but we missed too many open shots and were unable to reduce the advantage that Girona got. It's a pity that Lavrinovic wasn't able to play today. I don't say we would have won with him, but we would have had more options if Lavrinovic had played and more chances to win. But when a team plays a real tough game as Girona did, what can you do against that? I'd like to congratulate Girona again, and would like to congratulate the organization of these quarterfinals. Our team couldn't have hoped for anything better in terms of organization, so thank you again for this quarterfinal in Turin."

Players

GASOL, MARC
Akasvayu Girona
"Our defense in the second half was one of the keys. We’ve been patient and played a good game, especially in that second half. The first half, we didn’t play good defense, but in the second half we did and that pushed us to the win. Dynamo is a very experienced team with a lot of experienced players, probably a bigger team. But we know how to attack their defense because we've known that defense for a long time. We have to be patient and move the ball around while playing the same defense as we did against Unics. We want to play in the final, and we'll see what happens tomorrow. We definitely want to be in the final, so for that we have to win tomorrow."
MCDONALD, ARRIEL
Akasvayu Girona
I feel really good right now because we did have a lot of respect for Unics. We knew they were a very good and a very strong team. It shows that now we are starting to improve our quality and we did an excellent job to win the game tonight. The biggest thing that we talked about at halftime was offensive rebounding and trying to stop them from getting easy baskets. We did that in the second half, enough to win the game. I enjoy these kinds of situations a little. It's kind of funny because after a while you get used to it and then you don't have nerves anymore. It's almost like any other game. These kinds of games are good for me, good for my head, and I enjoy playing them. We have a lot of motivation to play against Dynamo because we're playing against our former coach from last season. We know they're a big club, they have a lot of pressure, they've got to win. Finally, for once in my career, I can play the underdog. I'm liking that."
SADA, VICTOR
Akasvayu Girona
"Always that I play a game I go for the win and today was no exception. The rebounds? It's a matter of going for the ball and a little luck. Of course, if you play many minutes you also have more possibilities to get one. Today I was not well in offense but I shared the ball and the team was comfortable with that. I think we have to improve the free throws which could have been a bad thing for us, but in the end we managed to pull it off. Tomorrow we have another game and I hope it will be better than tonight's."
SAN EMETERIO, FERNANDO
Akasvayu Girona
"The game was close almost all the way until the end of the last quarter but in the final minutes we managed to get the lead that allows you to play with more head and do things as they are supposed to. The game against Dynamo should be a fun game against one of the favorites to win this competition. We have to try to do our thing and see if we manage to get the win."
CVETKOVIC, BRANKO
Akasvayu Girona
"The game was so close, it was hard to get the win. Everybody stepped up to win this one because we certainly didn't win it because of good play. I mean we played well but we won thisone with heart. We can play much better than this and I hope tomorrow we will play more relaxed. Now we have to play Dynamo Moscow. We'll see what happens but they are favorite on paper. If we play like we can like we normally play in the Spanish League I think we can beat them. For sure I know they will have a strong motivation and that they have big names. They will fight. I don't know what the outcome will be but we surely can expect a big fight."
MCCULLOUGH, JERRY
Unics Kazan
"I think we could have won but with his absence we tried to do different things and it didn't work out. Arriel McDonald played well but We helped them with our turnovers. I don't think he did anything special because he is a great player, but we just had many turnovers and they took advantage of it."
PADIUS, NIKOLAY
Unics Kazan
"We made too many mistakes tonight, especially in offense. The Final Eight is a good idea, something new and exciting. Of course, I will never forget the ULEB Cup final I played with Aris in Charleroi. It was unbelievable and it will always stay in my mind. We prepared the game well but we didn't manage to execute well. I hope we can use this as a lesson. We have a very important game for the third spot in the Russian League regular season. The sooner we forget about this, better for us."
STANESCU, VIRGIL
Unics Kazan
"We prepared the game knowing that Darjus Lavrinovic may not play. We tried different things but didn't work out. You cannot be satisfied when you make it to the Final Eight and get out of the tournament in the first game. That was our goal, winning the game. Of course, we did a good job to make it to the Final Eight and come here but unfortunately we couldn't make it further."
KIRKSAY, TARIQ
Unics Kazan
"It was a difficult game because our big men got into foul trouble very early. We played to play small ball, playing with two power forwards. They did a good job against that and offensively, we did too many one-on-ones. Our offense was not very fluent. I took responsabilities but I didnp't help my team they way I am supposed to. We missed Darjus Lavrinovic and he might have made the difference, because we had aproblems with just three big men. We missed him a lot of time throughout the season. Our big men did a good job, I think, but got in foul trouble and that's a part of the game. They kept fighting and we didn't get them the ball to get Marc Gasol in foul trouble. We looked like the team we were in the beginning of the year, trying to find ourselves. I think we were more prepared for the game that we showed."
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