Basketball without Mad4Red29 january 2007

Photographer: Various

On Monday morning, BC Khimki left for Belgrade, where the following day they will play against Crvena Zvezda at 22:00, Moscow time. Fortunately Pionir Hall will be empty of spectators. The Union League has punished the Serbian club for their fan club Mad4Red’s behavior, when on day six of the regular championship, the game against PAOK was suspended for 30 minutes as a result of serious incidents that began in the stands and quickly spread to the court (the visiting team was being cheered by Zvezda’s main rival: Partizan).

The new Moscow Region Head Coach, Kestutis KEMZURA is well aware that it won't be easy for his team in the game against the most renown Serbian club (ex-Yugoslavia).

— I have to develop some split-second combinations for the team. I am grateful to my colleagues, who have given me good suggestions, as Russell Bergman did on Saturday’s game several times. But this does not exempt me from the task: we must fight for victory and try to bring it home from Belgrade.

— It's enough to glance at the club’s statistics to understand that the key man on the rival team is Milan Gurovic (forward). Despite his 30 years, he has rarely spent less than 35 minutes on court, scoring 27.0 points and more than 5 rebounds on average per game in the ULEB Cup. All their opponents know this, but can't stop Milan. He even makes his opponent foul almost eight times per game. If we can stop Milan, we can win the game. An added plus is that the return game will be held on our home court, while the match in the Pionir Hall will be empty of spectators (from ULEBs sanctions against the Serbian team’s fans). It's not worth discussing Serb fan support.

Making do without Gurovic…

On Saturday, almost simultaneously facing off Khimki, the Serb team, Crvena Zvezda, played as visiting team in an Adriatic League game. The strongest ex Yugoslavian clubs face off in the battle for the medals in the National Championship games from the second stage, and they played the Bosnian Siroki. This club now holds no. 12 in ranking, after a defeat against the Serbian capital’s team: 76-85 (27-24, 21-21, 15-14, 13-26).

Without taking into account the two outsiders, the results from the dozen clubs are consistent: the advantage the leader, Cibona has over Siroki is of 8 victories (after 19 days). Without Milan Gurovic, the best of the visiting team were Dragicevic: 22 points + 8 rebounds, Antic: 17, Radivoevic: 11.

Meet the opponent

The club with the red insignia was founded after the end of the Second World War in 1945, as the Armed Forces of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. They held the championship 15 times: 1946–55, ’69, ’72, ’93, ’94, and ‘98. Silver medalists in 1984, ‘85, ‘90, ‘92, ‘99, 2004, and ’06. Bronze medalists: 1995, 2000, 2003-04. Six — time National Cup, and 1974 Cup of Cups winner. The team played the ULEB Cup on four occasions, clinching a place in the quarter finals of last season. Crvena has one foreigner on their roster, the North American guard, Billy Thomas.

Crvena Zvezda
(Belgrade, Serbia)

4

Igor Krasnic

Guard

1988

192

5

Igor Milosevic

Guard

1986

192

6

Marco Popadic

Guard

1989

190

7

Steven Markovic

Forward

1985

190

9

Petar Popovic

Forward

1979

211

11

Mirko Kovac

Guard

1983

195

12

Billy Thomas

Guard

1975

193

13

Nenad Misanovic

Center

1984

217

15

Milan Gurovic

Forward

1976

207

18

Vuk Radivojevic

Guard

1983

195

20

Tadija Dragicevic

Forward

1986

209

21

Pero Antic

Forward

1982

209

55

Nemanja Alexandrov

 

 

 

Head Coach: Dragan Sakota
Assistant coaches: Stevan Karagic, Sasha Nikitovic, Predrag Zimonic

Author: Dmitry Evdokimov