By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
CSKA Moscow started the season with a 95-75 win with FC Barcelona Lassa despite the summer changes, looking essentially like last year’s team.
Cory Higgins with 18 points made 5/6 threes and together with Will Clyburn (13 p., 7 r.) set the tone in the first 20 minutes during a balanced effort on both ends of the floor from the Russian side. Nando De Colo added 17 points for the winners and Sergio Rodriguez had 12. Five made threes is a EuroLeague personal best for Higgins.
After modest four-point lead after the first period (21-17), CSKA Moscow changed gears and opened the second quarter with a 13-2 run (34-19). Barcelona suddenly couldn’t react. The hosts scored 30 points in 10 minutes and at the halftime, they were up by 22 points (51-29). Higgins already had 12 points and the game was practically over.
“It was not an easy game”, said CSKA coach Dimitris Itoudis. “My players made it look easy; it was not. I could say that for three quarters we played a perfect defensive game, we moved the ball well”.
Barcelona managed to improve on the court and cut the lead of CSKA to 11 points (69-58) at the end of the third period, but couldn’t get any closer. CSKA Moscow started the last quarter with a 12-4 run (81-62) and kept its distance until the end. Kyle Kuric with 15 points was the top scorer of the guests.
“I can’t say that we had a chance to win the game, but we could have finished it with a better margin”, said Barcelona coach Svetislav Pesic. “So I can’t say it was catastrophic, especially after the first half. We should not be too negative about the outcome.”
CSKA Moscow did not use Joel Bolomboy in the game, as the Ukrainian born player is still waiting for his Russian passport in order to register as a local player.
Photo credit: EuroLeague