Regular Season Game 14 - January 31, 2007 CET: 18:15 Local time: 20:15 - UNIVERSAL SPORTS HALL CSKA

Records

Ave.   Ave.
0-0 Final Four 0-0
0-0 Playoffs 0-0
0-0 Top 16 0-0
1-0 Regular Season 1-0
12-1 Overall 5-8

Referees

Crew Chief
LAMONICA, LUIGI, Italy
Referee
JOVCIC, MILIVOJE, Serbia
Umpire
ZAMOJSKI, JAKUB, Poland

Team Stats

Ave.   Ave.
76.5 Points 75.2
32.1 Rebounds 30.1
8.0 O. Rebounds 7.7
24.1 D. Rebounds 22.4
15.2 Assists 10.4
11.8 Steals 10.7
2.7 Blocks 1.6
11.9 Turnovers 14.2
54.7 % 2PT 54.3 %
37.4 % 3PT 35.2 %
74.7 % FT 73.6 %
93.2 Index 73.7

Player Stats

Ave.   Ave.
12.5 / LANGDON, TRAJAN Points 15.8 / KAMBALA, K.
4.8 / Andersen Rebounds 8.9 / TURKCAN, MIRSAD
1.7 / SMODIS, MATJAZ OR 1.8 / KAMBALA, K.
4.4 / LANGDON, TRAJAN DR 6.9 / TURKCAN, MIRSAD
5.2 / Papaloukas Assists 3.8 / SOLOMON, WILLIE
1.9 / LANGDON, TRAJAN Steals 1.9 / SOLOMON, WILLIE
1.3 / V.d. Spiegel Blocks 0.6 / TURKCAN, MIRSAD
2.2 / Papaloukas Turnovers 4.0 / SOLOMON, WILLIE
68.7 % / Savrasenko 2PT 60.8 % / KAMBALA, K.
60.0 % / Andersen 3PT 100.0 % / KAMBALA, K.
88.5 % / LANGDON, TRAJAN FT 90.0 % / BASAK, RASIM
14.8 / LANGDON, TRAJAN Index 16.8 / KAMBALA, K.

THE TAKE

Two teams in near-opposite situations, Euroleague champion CSKA Moscow and Fenerbahce Ulker, meet for their last Group C game in the Russian capital on Wednesday at 19:45 CET. CSKA (12-1) has won Group C, will be a top-seeded team in the Top 16 Draw and can assure itself the best regular-season record of any team by extending its 10-game Euroleague winning streak with another victory. Meanwhile, Fenerbahce (5-8) is hoping that a victory can help it finish as high as sixth place, and from there, a few other fortunate results could even land it in the Top 16. Besides beating CSKA in Moscow, Fenerbahce would also need Benetton (7-6), Pau-Orthez (6-7) and Aris TT Bank (6-7) to win their respective games in Group C, plus Partizan to win in Group B. If all that happens, Fenerbahce would have ashot at the best sixth-place standing and the last Top 16 berth. But first it has to stop CSKA, which is expected to have David Vanterpool (7.3 ppg.) on court after he missed a couple games, although Matjaz Smodis (12.9 ppg., 43.9% 3FG) will remain sidelined. With Vanterpool back in action, star playmaker Theodoros Papaloukas (10.2 ppg., 5.2 apg.) will likely return to his usual sixth-man role. Papaloukas has started in the last couple of CSKA games after coming off the bench in 89 consecutive Euroleague games. Papaloukas leads a star-flooded backcourt featuring Trajan Langdon (12.5 ppg.), J.R. Holden (9.9 ppg.) and Vanterpool, with Anton Ponkrashov (3.4 ppg.) and Zakhar Pashutin (44.4% 3FG) providing help off the bench. Langdon will test his shooting skills against Ibrahim Kutluay (12.4 ppg.) and Damir Mrsic (10.8 ppg., 43% 3FG), while Holden and Papaloukas will have to slow Will Solomon (13.3 ppg., 3.8 apg.), who is in top form lately. Solomon missed the previous Fenerbahce game against CSKA, so it will be the first time it faces this team since losing the 2006 Euroleague final playing for Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv. Eddie Basdem (6.6 ppg.) and Omer Onan (4.9 ppg.) are ready to help Fenerbahce in many ways. Without Smodis on court, David Andersen (10.5 ppg., 60% 3FG) will see the most minutes near the baskets along with Aleksey Savrasenko (7.8 ppg., 67.8% 2FG) and Thomas Van den Spiegel (4.4 ppg.), with Nikita Kourbanov (2.2 ppg.) providing some help as backup power forward. Savrasenko and Van den Spiegel will have the tough mission to slow Kaspars Kambala (15.8 ppg., 60.8% 2FG) and Mirsad Turkcan (8.3 ppg., 8.9 rpg.), while Andersen will try to use his soft touch and quickness against Ira Clark (3.6 ppg.), Oguz Savas (2.9 ppg.) or Semih Erden (4.6 ppg.). Even when CSKA is the heavy favourite, expect Fenerbahce to work hard to keep at least its mathematical chances of continuing this Euroleague season.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Euroleague.net

Quotes Head Coaches

MESSINA, ETTORE
CSKA Moscow
"This is a game that we want to play well and to win in order to stay consistent before the Top 16 and to stay serious in every game we play. We hope to put David Vanterpool back on the roster. He needs to get back in a rhythm before the upcoming games. Matjaz Smodis continues his rehabilitation program and likely would not be able to help us this week. We respect Fenerbahce Ulker and expect them to show very serious play, as usual."
ORS, AYDIN
Fenerbahce Ulker
"As everybody knows, unfortunately, we only have mathematical chance for the next stage. And the second thing is that our chance is in the hands of others, inside and outside of our group. There’s nothing much new to say about CSKA Moscow. They are the latest champions of Euroleague and, at the same time, one of the biggest candidates for the throphy this season, too. There’s no doubt that we are going to play our hardest game of this season. But the only thing I know is that we will play to win the game whatever it takes. Then, we will se if we are lucky or not."

Players

ANDERSEN, DAVID
CSKA Moscow
"Fenerbahce Ulker has a slim chance to go to the Top 16 and they would not like to miss it. Several players of the team played in Russia before, Mirsad Turkcan was in CSKA, so they have extra motivation to perform well in Moscow. It will be a game on a high level for sure. As for CSKA, after the big game in Barcelona, we have to continue to perform in a similar way."
DEMIREL, HAKAN
Fenerbahce Ulker
"We are feeling very sad about the loss that we had against Eldo Napoli last week. We have wasted a great chance for the next round and it’s not easy to handle the disappointment. But of course, we have to fight until the end, until we see that there’s no chance for the next round. It’s really very hard to beat CSKA Moscow at home but miracles are possible in life, anytime."
Theo Papaloukas - CSKA Moscow Defending champions CSKA kept their momentum going into the Top 16 by winning and 11th consecutive game to finish with the best regular season record following a 85-66 Group C victory over visiting Fenerbahce Ulker on Wednesday in Moscow. Indeed, with the win, CSKA posted the second-best regular season record all decade, 13-1, behind the club's 2004-05 team, which went undefeated in that phase. Fenerbahce, playing without suspended center Kaspars Kambala, finished 5-9 and eliminated from the competition. Trajan Langdon outside and David Andersen inside were the big guns for CSKA, scoring 20 and 18 points, respectively. Andersen added 9 rebounds for the winners, while Theodoros Papaloukas dished 12 assists. CSKA played without injured leading scorer Matjaz Smodis. Fenerbahce got 17 points from Will Solomon and 14 each from Damir Mrsic and Oguz Savas, while Mirsad Turkcan hauled down 12 rebounds. Fenerbahce fell behind early but rallied to within 45-39 late in the third quarter before Landgon and J.R. Holden combined for a trio of three-point shots to send the champs way ahead again.

CSKA rolled ahead quickly by going inside to Alexey Savrasenko and Andersen before Solomon got Fenerbahce on the board with a three-point shot. Langdon and Papaloukas took over from there with 6 consecutive points to make it 10-3. Only Solomon could respond for the visitors, but after some substitutions, CSKA was up to seven scorers as Nikita Kurbanov and Tomas Van den Spiegel dunked while David Vanterpool hit free throws. Damir Mrsic helped Fenerbahce with a triple before Anton Pokrashov became CSKA's eighth scorer in the quarter with a free throw that ended it 21-10.

Will Solomon - Fenerbahce UlkerCSKA maintained its double-digit lead despite Omer Onan popping Fenerbahce's third triple early in the second quarter. The hosts' defense ruled otherwise, as Savrasenko and Andersen returned with inside baskets to make it 27-13. CSKA was content to trade points for awhile until Langdon landed his teams first shot from the arc to make it 32-17. Oguz Savas rescued Fenerbahce then with a personal 2-6 run to cut the difference to 34-23. He gave way then to Mrsic, who used the half's last minute to fire up, and in, a pair of triples around one by Kurbanov of CSKA, leaving a single-digit difference, 37-29, on the scoreboard at the break.

Mrsic threatened to take over the game himself with a triple to start the second half. When Solomon joined him with a three-point basket-plus-free throw, Fenerbahce was suddenly within 39-35, marking the end of a 7-18 run stretching back to the second quarter. Papaloukas steadied CSKA with a layup and then fed Andersen for another. Solomon and Semih Erden kept Fenerbahce within 6 points, at 45-39, but that was the end of the threat. Andersen's next jumper was followed by a triple from Langdon to give CSKA breathing room. Before the quarter could finish, Langdon and Holden struck again with back-to-back shots from downtown to leave the hosts with a 57-46 lead after 30 minutes.

When Andersen and Holden combined for 5 points to start the final quarter, the outcome was clear, but triple by Ponkrashov made it clearer. The lead only widened from there even though Fenerbahce fired up some more shots from the arc. But Ponkrashov had another himself. Andersen and Van den Spiegel contained the middle and Langdon nailed a final triple to cap his shooting performance. CSKA had everything it could have wanted in the regular season, while Fenerbahce was left to wonder what might have been.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Euroleague.net
Referees: LAMONICA, LUIGI (ITA), JOVCIC, MILIVOJE (SRB), ZAMOJSKI, JAKUB (POL)
Attendance: 4000
By Quarter1234
CSKA Moscow21162028
Fenerbahce Ulker10191720
End of Quarter1234
CSKA Moscow21375785
Fenerbahce Ulker10294666
Head coach: MESSINA, ETTORE
CSKA Moscow
# 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
4 PAPALOUKAS, THEODOROS 24:15 6 3/3 0/1   1   1 12 1 1     1 1 18
5 KURBANOV, NIKITA 21:30 7 2/3 1/2   1 3 4 1         5   5
9 VANTERPOOL, DAVID 17:45 6 2/4 0/2 2/2   2 2 7 1 1     1 3 13
10 HOLDEN, J.R. 16:45 6 0/2 2/4                       2
11 PASHUTIN, ZAKHAR 5:15     0/1         1              
13 ANDERSEN, DAVID 30:15 18 7/9   4/6 3 6 9 2   1 1 1 1 3 26
14 SAVRASENKO, ALEKSEY 18:45 6 3/8     1 2 3     1 1   1 1 4
15 KASHIROV, ANATOLY 5:15 2 1/2   0/6 1   1           1 4 -1
18 PONKRASHOV, ANTON 16:45 7   2/4 1/2 1 1 2 2 2       1 1 10
21 LANGDON, TRAJAN 27:30 20 4/5 4/4     5 5   2 1     2 1 24
22 VAN DEN SPIEGEL, TOMAS 16:00 7 3/3   1/4 1 1 2     1 2   4 2 5
Team             5 5   5           10
Totals 200:00 85 25/39 9/18 8/20 9 25 34 25 11 6 4 1 17 16 116
64.1% 50% 40%
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: ORS, AYDIN
Fenerbahce Ulker
# 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
4 DEMIREL, HAKAN 8:30 3   1/1             1         2
6 TURKCAN, MIRSAD 31:30 6 3/6 0/2   3 9 12 2 2 1 1     2 19
7 ONAN, OMER 15:00 7 0/1 1/1 4/4   1 1           1 3 9
8 BASAK, RASIM 4:45     0/1                   1   -2
9 ERDEN, SEMIH 14:45 4 1/2   2/2 2   2           1 2 6
10 KUTLUAY, IBRAHIM 22:15 1   0/3 1/2       1   2     1 1 -4
11 SAVAS, OGUZ 29:00 14 3/8   8/9 1 3 4         2 4 7 13
12 MRSIC, DAMIR 18:30 14 1/2 4/7     2 2 2         3   11
13 CLARK, IRA 4:45     0/1     1 1         1     -1
14 GULAY, ZEKI DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
23 BASDEN, EDDIE 17:00   0/3       2 2     1     2   -4
52 SOLOMON, WILLIE 34:00 17 5/8 2/7 1/1   1 1 4 2 3   1 3 2 11
Team           1   1     4         -3
Totals 200:00 66 13/30 8/23 16/18 7 19 26 9 4 12 1 4 16 17 57
43.3% 34.8% 88.9%
This game is not yet played

Head Coaches

MESSINA, ETTORE
CSKA Moscow
"Of course, the absence of Kaspars Kambala was a big factor in the game, especially for the motivation of the Fenerbahce Ulker players. We started to control the game after five minutes. We were doing well against their zone defense. It is important we had David Vanterpool on the court. He showed he is in good condition mentally and physically."
ORS, AYDIN
Fenerbahce Ulker
"I want to congratulate CSKA for the win and their qualification to the Top 16. Messina deserves all the praise and admiration for his work. Its hard to speak about this game. Kambala's situation is not an excuse for us. But we missed him, especially mentally."

Players

VAN DEN SPIEGEL, TOMAS
CSKA Moscow
"We were concentrated today and, while it wasn't that serious for us to win, we did it and saved our almost perfect record. In fact it was like a good practice for us before a derby against Dynamo Moscow on Sunday and the upcoming Top 16. We just have to wait for the draw procedure and try to beat any rival we'll have to face."
SAVRASENKO, ALEKSEY
CSKA Moscow
"I suppose this win was more important for us than Fenerbahce. We couldn't lose our winning rhythm on the eve of Top 16. It was also a valuable chance for our youngsters to be imbued with Euroleague atmosphere. The next games in this tournament will be much more difficult. We have to be ready to play at a completely other level of competition."
TURKCAN, MIRSAD
Fenerbahce Ulker
"We lost and didn't qualify - that's life. CSKA is a great team and it was a really hard task to beat them in Moscow. The team effort wasn't as good as our fans expected. Now we have to win all our domestic competitions."
SAVAS, OGUZ
Fenerbahce Ulker
"For me personally this match was probably my best in the Euroleague this year. But it means nothing - basketball is a team game. We have to give credit to CSKA: it's the best team in Europe."
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