Russian Championship. They paid their debt, with interest due19 february 2007

The series of BC Khimki’s home games in February, which racked up some pending debts needed to be collected, continued with Spartak Primorie as opponent. It was clear from the outset that they were charged with vengeance, and so it was the home team dominated throughout the game, and won: 83-61 (23-15, 14-14, 25-17, 21-15).The Moscow Region Club will play its next game in the Russian Championship at home, next Friday versus UNICS of Kazan.

Top Scorers: Veremeenko (14), McCarty (13), Lampe (13).

Khimki’s dozen was the same as just three days back in the match against Lokomotiv (first ever in the home games of the current tournament). The home team tipped off with Savkov, first time this season, and along with Alexei, Melvin Booker opened Khimki’s score. The starting line up: Melvin Booker, Kelly McCarty, Vladimir Veremeenko, and Maciej Lampe. In the visiting team’s roster there were two former Khimki players, Roman Levter and Andrey Tsypatchev, albeit not in the starting five.

The yellow-blues immediately showed just who the owner of the house was, gaining 6-2. Moreover, at 3.5 minutes the visiting team had committed 3 fouls (Deane twice). Spartak’s boys were zoning but fortunately Khimki’s 3-pointers were making their mark, Kelly scoring the second one in, moments after blocking a shot by Stanescu. The Romanian was quickly switched with Tsypatchev. The first movements by Fridzon and Diatchok, coming out on court had them in a pass and shoot. With 20 seconds left for the end of the quarter, and after a steal, Valery Fridzon made an attempt but was fouled. Before the charity line was given to the opponent, Coach Kemzura asked for a time out. They were able to make both free throws, and counter-attack.

The second quarter started with an error on the part of the visiting team, and a score by Diatchok, when later the home team – and luckily not by much — the “visitors got out of hand.” Gian Marco Pozzecco fixed this. And after the visiting team made a fast break, Khimki’s coaches stopped the clock a minute to introduce some corrective measures, which helped, as Khimki continued winning the battle of the rebounds for 4 minutes when Spartak could not muster a one. With 5.48 on the clock until halftime, the home team switched the lead by 10: 30-20. Soon after, McCarty interrupted a series of 3-pointers, without a response, with five consecutive misses.

With 2 minutes to halftime, Savkov scored his first points, and later Shved, appeared, as playmaker, but after two errors, was replaced by Booker. The judges deliberated quite some time over an episode that came up with seconds to go before the end of the first half. They signaled the end of the attack, after the home team made an attempt with 1.7 seconds to go. After this the ball was free-flying, and the visiting team won the rebound, and the missile was left in the hands of the visitors, who upon receiving it attempted a basket. Khimki’s players spent some extra time in the locker room listening to the coach’s instructions; while beneath their basket, Gorenc lined himself to take a shot by himself.

The second half started off with two 3-pointers by Booker and Fridzon. After a reply fro Phelps, Sepelev committed a foul over Fridzon, who was attacking from the arc, scoring the three 3-pointers. Kelly also shot from the perimeter, and the home team won a partial of two minutes: 12-2.

Primorie was also scoring 3-pointers; however, when not making a pass, the home team was making some fast disengagements. They scored a total 14 points in the second quarter, while in the third quarter they had already racked up 16 points at 4.25 minutes.

After a dry spell, Diatchok made some baskets from the perimeter, and Kemzura launched the heavyweights onto the court, with a front line made up of Diatchok, Wolkowiski, and Lampe. The team fumbled the ball a few times and the coaches stopped the clock for a minute to establish corrective measures in the game and in the players. For Khimki’s last offense, they had 0.9 seconds to go. Gian Marco passed to Maciej, who made a timely basket from the arc. The coaches for Primorie did not approach the judges table to “clear up relations.”
Khimki’s players scored 3/11 attempts from the perimeter up until halftime, and in the third quarter garnered 5/9. The home team began the last quarter with Pozzecco, Savkov, and Fridzon in the rear, with a lead of 70-46. After a one-minute break, Levter came on court –with Gian Marco — and the fans showed their enthusiasm to see him again. After his 3-pointer, however, the emotions changed a bit. In the final quarter the home team had a purely Russian line up, and Savkov made several attempts at the basket.

The visiting team coaches also let their “legionnaires” take a breather, and after a time out, Khimki came back with Shved, Savkov, Krasnikov, Diatchok, and Mozgov. In the visiting team’s roster, the playmaker, Deane was on the bench. Timofei Mozgov opened his personal score from the line, and Savkov blocked a shot from the opponent.