2008-09QuarterfinalsGame 1
Pamesa Valencia 73
Khimki Moscow Region 76
April 03, 2009 CET: 18:00
Local time: 18:00 PALASPORT OLIMPICO
Mike Wilkinson - BC Khimki celebrates - Final Eight Turin 2009 - EC08

BC Khimki Moscow region made it to semifinals downing Pamesa Valencia 73-76

BC Khimki Moscow region made it to the Eurocup semifinals for the first time in club history by downing Pamesa Valencia 73-76 in their quarterfinals showdown on Friday night. Khimki stayed alive in the competition and will face iurbentia Bilbao Basket or Zadar in the semifinals at 21:00 CET tomorrow. Mike Wilkinson paced the winners with 15 points, including key free throws with 9.7 seconds to go. Carlos Delfino and Jorge Garbajosa each added 12, Vitaliy Fridzon had 11 while Maciej Lampe got 10 for Khimki, including the game-winning point on a jumper with 13.5 seconds to play. Albert Oliver led Pamesa with a Eurocup career-best 18 points. Rafa Martinez added 11 for Pamesa. It was a balanced game in the early going, but Martinez and Matt Nielsen helped Pamesa to get a 16-12 edge. Anton Ponkrashov and Lampe allowed Khimki to tie the game, 20-20, at the end of the first quarter. Ratko Varda and Garbajosa fueled a 0-13 Khimki run that allowed their team to get a 25-33 lead. Pamesa found a go-to guy in Ermal Kuqo, who singlehandedly brought Pamesa within 33-37 at halftime. Martinez stepped up for Pamesa after the break while a fast break layup by Victor Claver and free throws by Kosta Perovic completed their team's comeback, 50-49. Three-pointers by Kuqo, Shammond Williams and Vule Avdalovic allowed Pamesa to get a 65-58 lead with under 7 minutes to go. Delfino and Wilkinson allowed Khimki to regain the lead, 70-72, already in the final 2 minutes. Lampe and Wilkinson gave Khimki a 73-76 edge with 7.9 seconds to go, while a running three-point shot by Avdalovic went in and out.

Pamesa coach Neven Spahija opted for an athletic starting lineup, with Florent Pietrus at small forward to guard McCarty. Oliver got Pamesa going with a driving layup that Vitaliy Fridzon matched with a close-in jumper. Kosta Perovic scored around the basket, as Khimki tried to improve its offense with Lampe on court. Meanwhile, a driving basket by Martinez gave Pamesa a 6-2 lead. Palacio drew a couple of fouls and used free throws to get Khimki within 6-5. Both teams entered the foul bonus in less than 4 minutes, while Lampe gave Khimki its first lead, 6-7. Oliver and Martinez made foul shots but Fridzon answered from downtown for a 10-10 tie. Nielsen and Garbajosa traded long two-pointers before more free throws by Martinez restored a 14-12 Pamesa edge. Vule Avdalovic beat the shot clock with a floating layup to add to the lead but a fallaway jumper by Lampe kept Khimki within 16-14. Nielsen downed another shot but Anton Ponkrashov followed foul shots with a driving basket to tie it up again, 18-18. True to the whole course of the first quarter, when Avdalovic scored in transition, Lampe quickly answered with a layup for a 20-20 tie after 10 minutes.

Shammond Williams sank a three-pointer from the top of the key early in the second quarter while Kenny Gregory scored around the basket for a 25-20 Pamesa lead. Mike Wilkinson buried one from downtown for Khimki while Ponkrashov soon joined the three-point shootout to put Khimki back ahead, 25-26. Pamesa could not find the way to the basket for more than 4 minutes while Ratko Varda beat the shot clock with a layup and soon added a tip-in for a 25-30 Khimki lead. Perovic picked up his third foul off a Pamesa timeout before a corner triple by Garbajosa capped a 0-13 Khimki run. Ermal Kuqo stepped up for Pamesa then with a smooth move in the low post, while his team's defense was adjusted with Oliver and Nielsen on court. Kuqo kept pacing Pamesa with a jump hook but Garbajosa answered with a turnaround jumper to keep Khimki way ahead, 29-35. An outstanding Kuqo buried a left-handed jump hook over Lampe, making Khimki call timeout before McCarty and Oliver traded free throws to fix the halftime score at 33-37.

Garbajosa took over with a layup-plus-free throw immediately after the break but an acrobatic jumper by Nielsen kept Pamesa within 35-40. Victor Claver provided a highlight with a two-handed dunk for Pamesa but a long jumper by Garbajosa gave Khimki some fresh air, 37-42. Oliver scored in penetration but Fridzon copied him in the other end. Khimki dominated the boards now while a spin move by Wilkinson gave his team a 39-46 margin. Martinez made free throws and soon struck from downtown to bring Pamesa back to life at 44-46. Wilkinson kept pacing Khimki with foul shots that Oliver matched with a driving layup. A fastbreak basket by Claver tied it at 48-48. Khimki called timeout but free throws by Perovic completed his team's comeback with a 50-49. Carlos Delfino downed a seven-meter bomb while Wilkinson scored a layup to make Khimki regain the lead, 50-54. As the game turned even more intense, Pietrus, Advalovic and Nielsen hit free throws to forge another tie, 54-54 after 30 minutes.

Nielsen hit foul shots early in the fourth quarter while Kuqo buried his first attempt from downtown to give Pamesa a 59-54 margin. Lampe scored in transition but Williams bettered that with a three-pointer, good for a 62-56 Pamesa margin. Delfino shined with a put-back layup but Avdalovic joined the three-point shootout for Pamesa to make Khimki call timeout at 65-58 with under 7 minutes to go. Wilkinson scored around the basket and Delfino added an outstanding fallaway jumper to keep Khimki as close as 65-62. As Pamesa struggled to score now, a power layup by the unstoppable Wilkinson got his team even closer, 65-64. Oliver banked in a three-pointer but free throws by Delfino kept Khimki within 68-65. Oliver hit a corner jumper that Fridzon matched with foul shots for a 70-67 score with 3 minutes remaining. Fridzon nailed a baseline jumper while Delfino buried a key triple off the dribble to put his team back ahead, 70-72, with 1:48 to go. Claver and Lampe missed from downtown while Fridzon collected a good-as-gold steal. Lampe buried a jumper but Oliver sank a running triple for a 73-74 Pamesa deficit with 9 seconds to go. Pamesa immediately fouled on Wilkinson, that nailed both attempts with 7.9 seconds remaining. It all came down to the final play, but a three-point shot by Avdalovic went in and out.

Anton Ponkrashov - BC Khimki - Final Eight Turin 2009 - EC08
Friday, April 3, 2009
Javier Gancedo, Eurocupbasketball.com
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Referees: BRAZAUSKAS, ROMUALDAS; CHIARI, ROBERTO; MARICIC,SASA; JONES, WILLIAM
Attendance: 2996
By Quarter1234
Pamesa Valencia20132119
Khimki Moscow Region20171722
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Pamesa Valencia20335473
Khimki Moscow Region20375476
Pamesa Valencia
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
4 OLIVER, ALBERT 26:50 18 4/6 2/7 4/4 2 1 3 2 2 1     2 5 20
5 GREGORY, KENNY 7:15 2 1/2                         1
7 PEROVIC, KOSTA 19:45 4 1/4   2/2 2 3 5 1 3 5 1   4 3 5
9 CLAVER, VICTOR 13:19 4 2/3 0/1     1 1       1 1 3    
10 WILLIAMS, SHAMMOND 13:10 6 0/1 2/3           1         1 6
12 KUQO, ERMAL 16:41 9 3/5 1/1     3 3       1   3   8
13 MIRALLES, ALBERT 4:10                              
14 AVDALOVIC, VULE 13:29 8 2/5 1/2 1/2       1 1 3   2 1 1  
17 MARTINEZ, RAFA 29:22 11 1/3 1/2 6/6 1 1 2 1 2 3   1 2 5 12
20 PIETRUS, FLORENT 23:29 2 0/1   2/2   5 5     1 1   4 2 4
33 SIMEON, JOSE DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
44 NIELSEN, MATT 32:30 9 3/6   3/4 1 3 4 2 2 2 1   3 8 17
Team           2 1 3               3
Totals 200:00 73 17/36 7/16 18/20 8 18 26 7 11 15 5 4 22 25 76
        47.2% 43.8% 90%
Head coach: SPAHIJA, NEVEN
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
Khimki Moscow Region
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
5 PALACIO, MILT 34:17 3 0/2 0/2 3/4 2 5 7 7 1 4 2   3 5 13
7 FRIDZON, VITALY 17:30 11 3/3 1/4 2/2         1       4 2 7
10 DELFINO, CARLOS 22:01 12 2/7 2/4 2/4 2 1 3 3 1   1     3 14
11 RANNIKKO, TEEMU 3:53                   2     1   -3
12 VARDA, RATKO 4:03 2 1/2       1 1               2
13 WILKINSON, MIKE 24:31 15 4/7 1/1 4/5 4 2 6         2 3 3 15
15 GARBAJOSA, JORGE 21:20 12 4/6 1/2 1/1 1 3 4   2 2     5 2 10
16 SHABALKIN, NIKITA DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
18 PONKRASHOV, ANTON 16:18 7 1/2 1/1 2/2 1 1 2 2   2   1 2 2 7
21 McCARTY, KELLY 25:58 4 1/2 0/2 2/2 3 2 5   1 1     2 2 6
25 MOZGOV, TIMOFEY 6:57           1 1     3 1   3 1 -3
30 LAMPE, MACIEJ 23:12 10 5/11 0/2   1 3 4   2 1   2 2 2 5
Team           2   2     2          
Totals 200:00 76 21/42 6/18 16/20 16 19 35 12 8 17 4 5 25 22 73
        50% 33.3% 80%
Head coach: SCARIOLO, SERGIO

Head Coaches

SPAHIJA, NEVEN
Pamesa Valencia
First of all, I would like to congratulate Coach Scariolo and the Khimki team. I think it was a very good game, very competitive. In the end, we made some mistakes and in such an important game you have to grab the rebounds under the basket, you can't make turnovers. Maybe some small details of individual skills by some of the players, like the shot by Delfino near the end, decided the game. As a coach, I cannot be happy. I want to make the step to resolve the small details. We talked from the beginning that we have problems with defensive rebounds. So of course 16 offensive rebounds for Khimki is too much for one game, and in a big game like this, it's a big advantage."
SCARIOLO, SERGIO
Khimki Moscow Region
"It was a tough game, possibly more important than getting a brilliant win tonight. We didn't play our best game overall, that goes for sure. We have a few players still trying to get back to their best condition, especially from the technical point of view. I hope this game will help us with their legs, heads and hearts. We knew that we didn't have to give up when we happened to be down by a few points in the fourth quarter. We thought that the fourth quarter could be our moment to win the game, regardless how we did before. We finally to execute some big plays. Some of our best players overcame that lack of condition I mentioned before with heart and talent."

Players

KUQO, ERMAL
Pamesa Valencia
"We fought well until the end but their defense in the last 2 minutes created a little confusion to our offense and that is we kind of let go leading by 5 points. Carlos Delfino play great in the crucial moments but I have to say that I think that we showed we were the best team on thr court tonight. This is basketball and it happens sometimes. Mike Wilkinson got a couple of crucial offensive rebounds late in the game, hit the free throws and you have to accept what happens. All we can do is go back to the gym, work out and try to get better. I hope that we will have a better chance next season. I felt well on court after the injury, felt better than I thought I was going to feel."
NIELSEN, MATT
Pamesa Valencia
"It was a good game. I think that both teams played pretty well and fought hard until the end of the game. Unfortunately we did not managed to get the win being in a pretty good position to do it. We have to get past this disappointment and hold our heads up because we played hard but they managed to beat us down the stretch. It all went down to one shot but we did not managed to score when we were up by one point. I give credit to my team, we managed to get a pretty good shot in the final play but it didn't go in."
WILLIAMS, SHAMMOND
Pamesa Valencia
"It was a tough game but I think we played really, really well. We played tough and led for a good part of the game, but they made good plays that helped them to win it. We managed to get a seven-point lead with around 6 minutes to go but they called some good plays and did what they had to go to get back in the game. It was unfortunate for us, but everybody played well. It was an exciting game but we couldn't get the win so we are disappointed right now. What we have to do right now is forget about this loss and work hard in the Spanish League to make it to the Eurocup again - or even to the Euroleague. That is our next goal, for all of us."
WILKINSON, MIKE
Khimki Moscow Region
"We knew it was going to be tough. Pamesa is a great team and played hard. We made shots at the end, made a couple of free throws and got a couple of stops. We played hard against a good team. We wanted to stay together, play team basketball and we knew we would make a run, which is what we did. The ball came my way, I was put in situations where I could make plays and help my team. Fortunately, the ball went in for me a couple times. My teammates saw me and got me the ball where I could do something with it. We stayed together as a team, had each others' backs, and that's the way we won."
DELFINO, CARLOS
Khimki Moscow Region
"We played a big team like Pamesa in a game with lots of adrenalin. We had a lot of injuries that weakened us this year. But today we found ways to get to the basket, make shots and make defensive stops. It’s a great win for us and a great step forward, also because favorites like Dynamo and Benetton were knocked out in their first games. But tonight we showed that we can play, and we are still here, together as a team, trying to get the gold."
FRIDZON, VITALY
Khimki Moscow Region
"It was very hard. Pamesa is a very good team. We prepared for this game and this tournament for a long time. Our team played like one unit, and that helped us to get a very important victory tonight. I think that tomorrow’s game is going to be hard as well, and we have to be ready for it. We are all happy right now. The crucial thing was that we didn’t give up when we were behind, we managed to stop them. We didn’t have that good of a season until now, we had some problems, but finally, we found our game and became one unit."
GARBAJOSA, JORGE
Khimki Moscow Region
"I feel good. It was a big game tonight, and it was a hard one. The small details, like an offensive rebound, a foul or a good defensive play decided the game to our side tonight. It was really close. We know we can play better, but I think that the important thing was that we played as a team and did it together. It was actually one of the first times in my life that I have fouled out in a game. I trust in my teammates and they did a great job."
PONKRASHOV, ANTON
Khimki Moscow Region
"We understood how important this game would be, were extremely motivated. We didn't need someone to give us some extra motivation. Pamesa is a very strong team. Our teams are basically at the same level. You saw that the game was absolutely even. There were two equal opponents, and it could go either way in the end. They wanted to win just as we did, and actually had a better Eurocup record with fewer losses than we had. I prayed to God that Wilkinson would make those free throws in the final seconds. We are very happy to win this game."
PALACIO, MILT
Khimki Moscow Region
"I am happy that the first game is behind. We knew that it was going to be a tough game and that they have loads of talent, we knew we had to play hard and expected it to go down to the last shot. They made some tough shots, we did the same and it was a big win. We stuck with our defense and told each other down the stretch that we shouldn't panic and that we should stay together. I wasn't worried when Mike Wilkinson was shooting those late free throws. He shoots free throws in pressure situations all the time. We are not celebrating too much - this is a three-game situation, and we know that we have another game, possibly two. I am a type of guy who doesn't show feelings too much, but I am very happy."
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