By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
Panathinaikos opened the semifinal with bang, leading 29-15 after the first quarter. But CSKA answered with hard nosed defense, letting the Greens score only five points in the second quarter and finally prevailing with 66-64.
Panathinaikos had the last possession but Ramunas Siskauskas stole the ball from Dimitris Diamantidis and CSKA won the game. “I am still proud of my players, the last possession doesn’t matter”, said after the game Panathinaikos coach Zeljko Obradovic. Andrei Kirilenko with 17 points and Alexey Shved with 15 were the top scorers of the winners. On the other side, veteran Saras Jasikevicius had 19 points.
CSKA Moscow – Panathinaikos 66-64
CSKA: Teodosic 12 (6 r.), Lavrinovic 2, Siskauskas 5, Krstic 8, Kirilenko 17, Voronov, Vorontsevich, Shved 15, Kaun 2, Khryapa 3 (5 as.), Gordon 2
PANATHINAIKOS: Maric 6, Perperoglou, Batiste 11, Logan 2, Sato 3, Tsartsaris, Diamantidis 10 (6 as.), Vougioukas, Calathes 3, Smith, Kaimakoglou 10 (8 r., 5 as.), Jasikevicius 19
See the post game press conference and players’ quotes from the semifinal between CSKA Moscow and Panathinaikos.