Top Scorers: Lampe (15), Fridzon (13), Booker (10+ 9 assists), Wolkowyski (8).

BC Khimki left for Rostov with an 11-man team. The coaches decided to leave Vladimir Veremeenko recover back home on sick leave. The starting five hitting the court at the Rostov Express differed from the usual line up, and Vladimir was replaced by his namesake (Diatchok), tipping off with: Booker, Fridzon, McCarty, Diatchok, Wolkowyski.

Kelly McCarty, from the arc and with an assist by Diatchok, responded to a shot by Lokomotiv forward, Sergey Toporov, followed by Ruben Wolkowyski from the line. However, the team from the Moscow Region wasn’t able to gain advantage that quickly. Sergey Vorotnikov answered a shot by the Khimki captain, and Alexei Savkov moved in for Vitaly Fridzon, while Maciej Lampe replaced Ruben and Sergey Krasnikov took over for Diatchok. Omar Sneed with a triple-play took the locals to the lead. Gianmarco Pozzecco appeared on court and swung the pendulum back to center.

The yellow-n-blues began the second quarter with two centers and a harder defense. Savkov scored his first points from a distance (second attempt). The visiting team looked as if they decidedly were following the Rostov example, which in the first period made one 3-pointer out of 8 attempts – the second time they made it in after the 12th attempt. Thus, five unfortunate offenses from the perimeter midway through the quarter forced Khimki’s coach Kestutis Kemzura to call a time out. Lampe then, after a couple of sure shots, forced the home team Coach Aco Petrovic to stop the game a minute.


Diatchok was in charge of putting an end to the epidemic of fumbled long distance shots. Maciej continued his course working in the paint and took the gap to 9 points coming up to the break, adding 10 points to his credit. Rostov began the second half more active, sccoring 8 points in 2.5 without resistance or reply, forcing the visiting team’s coach to stop the clock a minute. However, this did not help to stop the home team, led by Kresimir Loncar, and Omar Sneed. In fact, despite coming up on the top of the quarter, Sergey Krasnikov made a basket. .

Moreover, Rostov used their offense very well in the second quarter with offensive rebounds. In the last quarter the coaches from the visiting team were forced to ask for another time out, after which Pozzecco was launched to battle. After Khimki’s minute, Lampe took them to the lead, but the pendulum continued to swing lazily around a minimum margin.

With 4.5 minutes to go to the siren blow, Fridzon scored 4 points (3-pointer and a free throw) and Loko’s coach called for a minute. Maurice Bailey was thundering from the line, and McCarty responded in kind. The home team tried to save the game launching from the perimeter, which they were not able to do. When there was only 50 seconds left for the final, the best guard of the game, Melvin Booker launched both free throws, after which in a last end-game tactic both teams scored only one point.