By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
CSKA Moscow is synonymous with the Final Four, Fenerbahce BEKO Istanbul suffered the consequences of COVID in the worst possible timing during the playoffs and the end result was a 3-0 sweep for the “Army Team” which got the 85-68 road in Istanbul.
Will Clyburn with 34 points and seven rebounds was unstoppable, Iffe Lundberg (photo) added 22 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals as CSKA cruised to victory during the last two quarters on the way to the EuroLeague Final Four in Cologne.
“It’s always special”, Clyburn said. “These guys here fought hard. We went through a lot of adversity – ups and downs during the season. I’m proud of these guys: how we fought, how we played together. I’m glad we got to this point.”
“We never lost our composure on what we represent, what kind of team we are”, said CSKA coach Dimitris Itoudis after the game. “That game for us was the true meaning of team sports. Obviously Iffe Lundberg playing for the first time on this competition level, he was great, but that can be said of course for all my players, so congratulations to all of them for their belief and their trust”.
After missing the first two games due to injury Jan Vesely returned on the court for Fenerbahce, but he couldn’t make things happen after being ejected from the game at the start of the second half. Nando De Colo scored 22 points, while once more Fenerahce missed coach Igor Kokoskov due to the health protocols of the competition.
Fenerbahce’s last stand for the season started with a 20-8 run in the first minutes of the game. However, CSKA Moscow dominated the second quarter, got a 44-39 half-time lead, and started the third period with an 11-0 run.
As Fenerbahce assistant – who acted as a head coach throughout the series – coach Erdem Can said: “We started the game strong, we were focused, but then we got sloppy and we struggled, made turnovers. We couldn’t react in the second half and I am sorry for that”.
The guests got a 58-39 advantage in the 23rd minute of action and there was no coming back for Fenerbahce. With Vesely out and Fenerbahce’s morale destroyed, CSKA led by 24 (65-41) thanks to a 21-3 partial score in the middle of the third quarter and comfortably finished the game with the biggest lead being 26 points (78-52).
Photo credit: EuroLeague