The task will not be an easy one: to resolve a deficit of 17 points “sown” in the first of the TOP 16 in the Euro League. But the team is revved up to get out on court and hook the opponent. The matter does not reside, however, so much in the state of mind of the rival, though one of Dynamo Moscow’s strongest players, Travis Hansen (in the first match the North American scored 16 points) suffered an injury in the game against CSKA, according to the club’s trainer, Dusan Ivkovic, leaving them reeling in a state of shock. As for Khimki, Gorenc will be out due to injuries.

In the Russian Cup games, up until this season, Khimki and Dynamo MR faced off but once, in the 2004/05 season, playing a consolation final match, after losing in the first F4 games. In the current tournament the clubs will, for the first time, will play for the right to go on to the next round in the battle for the trophy. Now, fate has taken last season’s trophy winner and current contender for this season’s of ULEB Cup to the quarter finals. This was not by a stroke of luck, however, but by the distribution of the Russian Championship results, where Dynamo Moscow played successfully as they had “in Europe.”

Despite the fact that the first match in the quarter finals Khimki as visiting team met with defeat, the team’s Head Coach Kestutis KEMZURA, considers that the team and its fan Guard are enough to boost their chances in any battle against any opponent. However, no team is exempt of mishaps, but the club has set six goals for itself, and will not lower their weapons under any circumstance.

— It's indispensable for the players to feel the security of their own strengths. They are all professionals ready to serve their team. This can be done in 35 minutes of game time, as much as during a brief cut. With such an ample bench, the matter of how much game time each should have on court, of course, doesn’t make it easy for the coach to decide. We all have the same objective, win each game and I think we will gain mutual understanding. When they all realize that the result is what matters, then that is when a team is born. If the players lean on one another, this will boost the team as a whole.

Meet the opponent:

The Basketball Club Dynamo (Moscow) is a part of the Physical-Sport Association of Russia. Dynamo Moscow, founded in 1923, was the first winner of the USSR Club Championships (1937, up until then the tournaments throughout the USSR were played between cities), and also won the gold in 1948. Two-time winner of the silver medal for the USSR Championship (1944, ‘90), nine-time bronze medal champ for the USSR Championship (including the last one played URSS-CEI ’92). Dynamo was also two-time finalist in the Union Cup, and three-time silver medalist in the Russian Championship (1995, ‘96, 2005), and of the bronze in 2004.

During last season Dynamo won their first continental victory with the ULEB Cup trophy. Until then the club had qualified twice in the semifinals of the European cups (Cup of Cups in 1991, European Cup in 1996). Dynamo Moscow players have always participated in the National Team’s roster, not only for the USSR but also the Russian Federation.

During the preseason, Coach Dusan Ivkovic invited a series of new players -though renowned in the world of basketball — to the club. Naturally, to qualify for the “next level” – the Euro League — and the desire to up their game in the Russian tournaments demanded a more powerful team: from Spain’s TAU the North American Travis Hansen, and returning from the NBA Sergey Monia (Portland team). In lieu of Hanno Mottola, three players took the front line: the Serbian Crvena Zvezda’s Miroslav Raicevic, Italian Roma’s Nigerian Obinna Ekezie, and Ural Great’s Andrei Trushkin, and Eddie Gill filled the guard position, after Ruben Douglas, Mire Chatman and George Tsintsadze took their leave.

MBC Dynamo Moscow

4	Bojan Popovic	Guard	1983	190
5	Andrei Ivanov	Forward	1984	197
6	Travis Hansen	Guard	1978	197
7	Dmitry Khvostov	Guard	1989	190
8	Eddie Gill	Guard	1978	183
10	Sergey Bykov	Guard	1983	190
11	Sergey Monia	Forward	1983	202
12	Lazaros Papadopulos	Center	1981	210
13	Andrei Trushkin	Center	1981	207
14	Dmitry Domani	Guard	1974	200
15	Antonis Fotsis	Forward	1981	209
17	Yuri Vasiliev	Center	1981	207
19	Obinna Ekezie	Center	1983	208
21	Grigori Shukhovtsev	Center	1983	211
25	Sergey Romanov	Forward	1984	200
31	Miroslav Raicevic	Forward	1981	208

Head Coach: Dusan Ivkovic
Assistant coaches: Vangelis Agelou, Andrei Kornev, Roman Safronov