Two years ago, during this same ULEB Cup stage, Dynamo Moscow faced off against Hemofarm. Having won the first match in Vršac: 84-81, they garnered a -20 in the second half; a shocking loss in their own home court: 75-96, as their opponent went on to the next round. UNICS, in the current Union Cup Championship lost in the Pionir Hall in Belgrade, but won on their home court: 94-72. This difference would be enough for the Moscow Region team to head on to the quarter finals.

Khimki themselves, within the framework of the Continental Trophies met up on court with Serbian clubs. In the group stage (Subgroup C) of the2000/01 Korac Cup’s first cycle in Belgrade, the yellow-blues lost to FMP Zeleznik… with those same 12 points: 65-77. On their court (at that time in their arena on Lavochkina Street) they made a sweeping victorious rematch: 89-66. Three years later, in the classifying rounds of the 2003/04 FIBA Euro-League, the opponent played in the ULEB Cup: Hemofarm of Vršac. In their own home court, the Moscow Region Club won: 79-72, but as visiting team they suffered an embarrassing defeat: 84-101.

It's not probable that the coaches who met on Tuesday afternoon were aware of these statistics. Khimki’s Head Coach Kestutis KEMZURA thinks we have not yet closed the chapter on this book, and has admitted that:

— I am very disillusioned by this defeat. I am sure we can play much better, which we will try to demonstrate in the return game. We didn’t take advantage of the fact that the rival was lacking an important element: the support from the bleachers. In the first half Khimki’s players defended themselves well against Gurovic, but lacked in rebounds. Later Milan was able to take on his title and shot some important 3-pointers. Nonetheless, I think that not all has been defined with this match.

The coach for Crvena Zvezda, Dragan SAKOTA thinks his team deserved to win

— I want to congratulate my players and dedicate this victory to our fans. If they had been able to be present in the arena, our advantage would have been more significant, but as it stands, the atmosphere in the hall was not the ordinary. A +12 does not guarantee us the quarter finals, but let's us build up tactics, counting this victory in Belgrade.

1/8 Finals. First games

Group Dunas (Grand Canaries, Spain) vs. FMP Zeleznik (Belgrade, Serbia): 84-88 (22-22, 19-20, 17-22, 26-24)
Hapoel (Jerusalem, Israel) vs. BC Ventspils (Latvia): 88-73 (25-26, 26-11, 21-25, 16-11)
IG Strasbourg (France) vs. SLUG Nancy (France): 89-86 (27-21, 12-27, 29-16, 21-22)
Alba (Berlin, Germany) vs. Real (Madrid, Spain): 31.01.2007
Snaidero (Udine, Italy) vs. Lietuvos Rytas (Vilnius, Lithuania): 75-72 (24-18, 25-19, 12-20, 14-15)
Crvena Zvezda (Belgrade, Serbia) vs. BC Khimki (Moscow Region, Russia): 89-77 (22-19, 23-16, 25-22, 19-19)
Hemofarm (Belgrade, Serbia) vs. UNICS (Kazan, Russia): 73-90 (11-22, 22-26, 22-19, 18-23)
PAOK (Saloniki, Greece) vs. Montepaschi (Siena, Italy): 62-79 (9-16, 18-19, 21-19, 14-25)

The return games will take place on 13 February, 2007 in the courts of the teams that played as visitors.

1/8

1/4

1/2

Final

1/2

1/4

1/8

30.01,13.02

27.02, 06.03

13, 20.03

10.04

13, 20.03

27.02, 06.03

30.01,13.02

FMP, Serbia

Real M, Spain

88-84

H

L

31/01

Grand Canaries, Spain

Alba, Germany

P

R

Ventspils, Latvia

BC Khimki Russia

73-88

I

M

77-89

Hapoel, Israel

C Zvezda, Serbia

1 — 2

Nancy, France

UNICS, Russia

86-89

J

N

90-73

Strasbourg, France

Hemofarm, Serbia

Q

S

L. Rytas, Lithuania

Montepaschi, Italy

72-75

K

O

79-62

Snaidero, Italy

PAOK, Greece