Top Scorers: Veremeenko (18), McCarty (16), Lampe (14), Fridzon (12), Booker (10).

The visiting team’s foreigners left-out were Ademola Okulaja and Boris Gorenc. Appearing after a long hiatus, the center-playing captain and in guard position Alexei Savkov, along with Booker, McCarty, and Veremeenko made up the starting line up. From the spectator turn out and the intense fan-base, it was difficult to define just whose home court it was. The fans were noticeably spirited and due to a full house, the heavies from Khimki’s fans were left out of the Krylatskoe Sports Palace.

The first points were made by Dynamo, and answered by Khimki’s Ruben Wolkowyski from the 3-point line. After a sweeping parachute by Kelly McCarty, Vladimir Veremeenko dunked a god one. Not three minutes later, Vitaly Fridzon hit the court in a man on man against Taquan Dean and with his first shot, scored from the arc, and later again in a rebound shot against none other than Antonis Fotsis (who mustered more than 20 rebounds in the last game of the Euro League). This forced Dynamo’s Dusan Ivkovic to call a time out, but the yellow-n-blues advantage crept up quickly to 14-10.

The home team leveled the score, but Melvin Booker again made it in from the arc (the three first 3-pointers attempted hit their mark). Dynamo scored after the fourth offensive rebound and Khimki called a time out. In the first quarter, the Moscow Region team won in the battle under the boards, though losing the ball 6 times. Khimki started the second quarter with two centers, and with a minute into the period scored 4 points without a reply from their rival. Coach Ivkovic immediately sent Fotsis back to the court, and Coach Kemzura launched Booker, who immediately thundered a double 3-pointer, though did not hit the mark.

After a basket by Kelly the difference grew to 5 points: 29-24 (in the Khimki vs. Dynamo match: 94-89), but the home team leveled the score on the boards. Melvin made a brilliant block, but was replaced by Gianmarco Pozzecco after a foul. The coaches expressed their opposition to the refs, and were slapped with a technical foul. Dynamo sent two from the arc, and were unable to score from the field, with fouls, though they continued on ahead to lead.

In the last minute of the first half, Kelly McCarty broke Khimki’s dry spell, and the team went to a break with an even score. Two offensives in the second half added up to nothing, but later the team began scoring, with a pendulum of leads taken every once in awhile. At that point the home team was leading in the rebounds, which brought them ahead. And just when Fridzon shot from the arc, and the boards lit at: 51-50 in favor of the home team, Coach Ivkovic called a time out, but soon after Veremeenko took the visiting team to the lead.

In a brilliant offensive move Booker made one from the perimeter and later McCarty with a steal broke to the line and his shots got Khimki the needed difference: 57-51. However, there was still 12 minutes game time ahead, and Dmitry Domani shot from the arc, and Veremeenko returned the gesture with the same coin, after which Wolkowyski made a 3-pointer. Coming up on the last quarter, the visiting team was ahead 9 points. In the last quarter Lazarus Papadopoulos put on a head band... The start of the quarter was in the hands of the home team.

It was not until the third minute that Fridzon scored from a medium distance, followed immediately by a brilliant perimeter shot by McCarty. Faced with a 68-62 in their favor Khimki’s Coach Kemzura called a time out. Dynamo’s Dean had four fouls, but thanks to some long distance shots, the team shortened their disadvantage. With 3 minutes on the game clock, Khimki’s lead rounded 5 points. With 1.43 left on the clock, Veremeenko went to the line and scored twice, taking it to: 77-72. With an offensive attack, Bojan Popovic made a shot, while Khimki did not make anymore attempts.


With 1.01 minutes to go and faced with the rival’s -3 Coach Kemzura called a time out. The yellow-n-blues put it all out on the court, with a shot by Booker that missed with the home team taking the rebound. Booker drove from the line +5. Fridzon blocked Popovic with a technical foul. The first was an air ball, and the second missed the mark as well. Plus five.


Immediately following the siren, Coach Kestutis KEMZURA had some words:

— Thank you very much to our fans, this victory was due in great part to their support. The boys listened to all the directives from the coaches; however, you can't have 100% precision. Basketball is a mix of improvisation and preparation. The opponent surprised us with their pressing, but we have won. This means we discovered the antidote to Dynamo’s ace under their sleeve.