By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Second straight home game for CSKA Moscow against KIROLBET Baskonia. The Russian side prevailed in the first match of the EuroLeague playoffs best-of-five series behind Sergio Rodriguez’s solid performance, but needs two more wins in order to advance to the Final Four.
Ahead of Thursday’s match, CSKA’s boss Dimitris Itoudis said: “We are experienced enough to know that it is not over when you’re up 1-0. We have to have full motivation, concentration, decisiveness and determination because it will be different game. The series just started and we know how tough it is to win it.”
His player, Kyle Hines, added: “Every game in a series is different. We have to come out more physical, with more focus than we did on Game 1. It’s on us to play even better than we did on Game 1.”
On the Spanish side that is gunning for an upset before the series moves to Vitoria-Gasteiz, head coach Velimir Perasovic mentioned: “This is the playoffs and the second game will be a new story. To win in Moscow we must play good defense but also good offense. We must play a complete game.”
Representing the players, Johannes Voigtmann said: “If we win in the second game we will be following the plan. We must show another face in this new game. With our defense we can make many good things in offense. We need to be better in all aspects and play as a team.”