By Eurohoops Team / info@eurohoops.net
Khimki Moscow Region could not overcome CSKA Moscow‘s obstacle, as Cory Higgins’ game-winner willed CSKA to the Final Four.
Coach Georgios Bartzokas had a lot to say after the game in the press conference and especially the final minutes of the contest.
“Both teams deserved to win, but in the end, everything was against us. We made a quick foul that we shouldn’t have committed on Sergio (Rodriguez), then we missed one critical free-throw, and on the other side of the court, Higgins scored an impossible shot. Then a situation happened with the scorers’ table and the substitutions. Shved had four fouls, and I had Honeycutt on the box ready to enter the game so that he could play defense. Since we could not make the free-throw, I put Honeycutt back on the bench. We made the outlet pass, scored a lay-up, and I don’t know why they asked us to make the sub. Although at the end we did not have a substitution to make. I don’t understand why they accepted to sub when we previously could not sub. It’s really weird and rare.”
He also commented on Khimki’s season and the four games against CSKA: “We showed progress, playing as a team and playing four games against the best team in the EuroLeague, CSKA. Four tight games, in the same level. All the details tonight were against us. We started the game with a wrong approach. We played with a lot of pressure. We don’t know how to handle the pressure; we are a new team. During half-time we were down by 13 points, we talked a lot, and as you witnessed, we played a different game in the second half. We have to congratulate our opponents; they have a great team. I have to be proud of our team. I am grateful for the support of our fans and I know Khimki made more fans in the process. We made the playoffs and in all of the four playoff games we competed and fought. We must be proud and let’s keep on working like that. Next year we will be better.”
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