League History

2013/14 Season. A Cinderella story by «Nizhniy Novgorod», a harsh dose of reality by CSKA.

The fifth season of the United VTB League has produced a number of memorable storylines. The recognition of the League’s international status, the launch of the youth tournament, Krasniy Oktyabr's impressive debut, Randy Culpepper’s scoring record, new episodes of the blockbuster Khimki versus CSKA rivalry and an 18-game winning streak by the team from the Moscow Region, the Regular Season MVP Andrew Goudelock and the Serbian magician Milos Teodosic, a Cinderella story by Nizhniy Novgorod, and a fourth, hard-earned title won by CSKA.

Prologue

The VTB United League has grown and developed over each year of existence, which demanded changes in format. 2013/14 Season became the first season ever with the system of competition and the number of participants remaining untouched from the previous year. That didn’t mean that the League’s growth has stalled. Quite the contrary. VTB League has entered the season with newly acquired status of an official European club competition, recognized by FIBA Europe as a successor to a Russian Championship.

As the new season was being presented to the public, several new individual awards were introduced. Along with the familiar nominations (Regular Season and Play-off’s MVPs, Players of the Month, Rookie of the Year Award and an Award to the Best Player for each of the 9 participating countries), five brand new awards were added. Namely: The Scoring champion, The Defensive Player of the Year, The 6th Man of the Year and The Coach of the Year. The new season had also marked the launch of VTB United Youth League, which consisted of 11 teams from Russia.

“This year we’re starting the season as a League that is recognized by FIBA. Also, Russian Basketball Federation has delegated the rights to the Russian Championship to us for free. The country’s first team will be chosen among the ten Russian clubs participating in the League. There are many surprises we have in store for the basketball fans this year. One of them is the United Youth League. Every success-oriented club has to think ahead, concern itself with the future of basketball and support its young talent. The development is the key factor here. There will be more basketball on the Russian TV screens starting in 2013/14, as we have signed a tree-year contract with one of Russia’s largest holding companies VGTRK. With each year the League had become better and this year won’t be an exception” – said Sergei Ivanov, the President of the United VTB League.

The Format and Participants

Just as in the year before, 20 teams divided into two groups competed in the Regular Season. Each of them played two games against the other teams in their Groups, a home and an away leg. The Russian club Krasniy Oktyabr became the League’s only debutant. While the Volgograd team had taken the place of Lithuanian powerhouse Zalgiris, the number of the countries participating in the United VTB League has remained the same – nine.

The Draw for the 2013/14 Season was being held in Kazan. Colorful atmosphere in the capital of Tatarstan that day has added plenty of additional enthusiasm regarding the new championship.

Here are the results of the Group’s Draw:
Group A: UNICS (Russia), Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania), Lokomotiv-Kuban (Russia), Nizhniy Novgorod (Russia), Enisey (Russia), Spartak (Russia), Turow (Poland), Nymbruk (Czech Republic), Donetsk (Ukraine), Kalev (Estonia).
Group В: Khimki (Russia), CSKA (Russia), Triumph (Russia), Krasnie Krylia (Russia), Astana (Kazakhstan), Krasniy Oktyabr (Russia), VEF (Latvia), Neptunas (Lithuania), Tsmoki-Minsk (Belarus), Azovmash (Ukraine).

Six teams from each group would advance to the Play-offs based on their Regular Season record. The Number 1 and Number 2 seeds from each group would skip the first round and enter the Play-offs at the quarterfinals, while the rest of the teams would have to battle for remaining spots in the 1/8 stage.

Regular Season

The fifth VTB League season started with a game in Krasnodar. The previous year’s finalists Lokomotiv-Kuban defeated Estonian champion Kalev 88:74. A few hours later on their opening night Krasniy Oktyabr had played an over-the-top exciting game against “Tsmoki-Minsk” and won in the overtime 113:112! The debut by the Volgograd team turned out to be especially emphatic due to the record-breaking 41-point scoring outburst by guard Randy Culpepper. Both teams tallied in 225 points combined, also setting a respective new League scoring record. Although the numbers are impressive, no stat sheet would describe the level of excitement during that game’s final seconds!

One of the most awaited games in the first half of the Regular Season has been a week five duel between two of the Group A’s favorites and Championship hopefuls – UNICS and Lokomotiv. Andrea Tinkeri’s team has stunned their opponents from Krasnodar with their pressure right from the opening tip and contained them in the 2nd half, producing the fifth straight win to start the year. The team from Kazan and their charismatic Italian coach never let up during the Regular Season, earning the top seed in Group A. The Green and White, led by former NBA player Andrew Goudelock, have only missed a step once – in a game against Kalev, finishing their Regular Season with a more than impressive 17-1 record. As for Loko, this was the year the team from the South has debuted in the Euroleague. The fight on two fronts turned out to be a bumpy walk for the club. The Red and Green lacked stability all year long and finished third in the group with 12 wins in 18 games.

Battling in both the Euroleague and in VTB League turned out to be a little easier for Lietuvos Rytas who finished with a 13-5 record, good enough for the 2nd place in Group А and a reserved trip to the quarterfinals. After the very rocky 1-5 start Nizhniy Novgorod managed to find their rhythm and took advantage of some of their key off-season additions in the later games and finished fourth with a respectable 11-7 mark. The two remaining Play-off spots were filled by Enisey (9-9) and Spartak (7-11).

In Group B all eyes were keyed on the matchup between CSKA and Khimki ever since the moment it was clear they would face each other in the group competition. The two bitter foes produced an emotional and thrilling five-game semi-finals series in the 2013 Play-offs and were ready to write another chapter in their remarkable rivalry. They didn’t leave basketball fans disappointed. Both championship contending teams played each other at the highest level, with Khimki just edging out their opponent 92:87, getting their 8th win in a row and handing CSKA their first loss of the Regular Season.

Rimas Kurtinaitis’ team continued their winning ways and arrived to Klaipeda for their week 12 matchup versus Neptunas with a perfect win/loss record. By notching the 12th straight win, the Blue and Yellow had repeated CSKA’s record 12-game winning streak from 2011/12. As if it was written, to beat CSKA’s record and have the number one spot in the record books all to themselves, they would have to go through the mighty Red and Blue team for the second time. The highly-anticipated clash between these two titans had been filled with drama until the very last second, ending on a game-winning buzzer beater three by James Augustine - 90:87.

Khimki set a new VTB League record and never looked back, ending their Regular Season campaign with a perfect 18-0. CSKA finished second (16-2). Triumph, led by a Regular Season scoring champion Cory Higgins, finished third (11-7). Krasnie Krylia (9-9) and Astana (8-10) played up to their potential and were joined in the Play-offs by the debutant Krasniy Oktyabr (8-10).

The debut

The play of the League debutant Krasniy Oktyabr deserves an honorary mention. When the club entered the League in 2013, they were mostly met with skepticism, because an unknown team from Volgograd that had only existed for a little over a year and played solely in a Russian second division – the Superleague, was coming to try and fill the shoes of a celebrated European powerhouse Zalgiris from Kaunas. That didn’t stop the Steelers from adjusting quickly on the fly and earning respect. The spectators enjoyed a high volume scoring blend of basketball by Randy Culpepper, eccentric player-owner Dmitriy Gerasimenko, well-balanced international roster and one of the loudest home arenas in the VTB League.

After the 15-year absence the game of basketball was back to the city of Volgograd on the largest stage, in their first season the charming debutant team has earned a spot in the Play-offs and offered the fans a barrage of memorable moments.

The Play-offs

Oktyabr's memorable debut season was ended in the first round of the Play-offs in a two-game sweep by Lokomotiv-Kuban, although both games were pretty hard-fought wins.
The most intense matchup in the 1st round however turned out to be between Nizhniy Novgorod and ambitious Astana. Russian team was depleted by injuries, with only nine players on the roster, but nonetheless managed to come out on top with a gutsy performance in an away game one, eventually taking care of the series at home 2-0.

The top four Regular Season teams entered the Play-offs at the quarterfinals stage and right away gave the fans an instant classic and one of the most exciting Play-offs series in recent memory. After trailing two games to none and also experiencing a Euroleague’s Final Four fiasco, the perennial Russian champion CSKA managed to win three straight must-win games and come away on top in a five-game series.

The most sensational upset, however, happened when Nizhniy Novgorod outplayed the best team in the Regular Season. It’s even more impressive that they handled the undefeated 18-0 Khimki club in three straight games, performing a clean sweep.

Unfortunately for them, the Blue and Yellow team didn’t hit their peak form during the Play-offs in May. Nevertheless, they were close to coming away with a victory in game 1 and continuing their record-breaking undefeated streak. Apparantly, Pyotr Gubanov of Nizhniy Novgorod hadn’t received that memo, hitting not only what was the most remarkable shot of that series, but perhaps of the whole 2nd round, to win the away opener for his team. Just like that the undefeated streak was over, while Nizhniy gained important momentum and self-confidence. They built on the success of game one and defeated the not-so-long ago seemingly flawless Khimki in games two and three to complete a highly improbable sweep.

Competition in the quarterfinals turned out to be far less stressful for the other two seeded favorites. UNICS and Lietuvos Rytas both swept their opponents, Krasnie Krylia and Triumph respectively, in back-to-back games.

Nizhniy Novgorod continued writing their own Cinderella story in the semi-finals round by steamrolling through another heavily favored Lietuvos Rytas 3-1, and earning a spot in the Euroleague.

Meanwhile, CSKA swept their semi-finals opponent. The first game of the series also proved to become all too important when it was all said and done in the battle of two super clubs. UNICS was playing in front of their fans and had more time to recover and prepare for the semis. They controlled the game for the first three quarters, but down the stretch had lost Dmitriy Sokolov and Vladimir Veremeenko to foul trouble. At the same time Andrew Goudelock went cold from the field, which allowed CSKA to construct a successful comeback, claw back into the game and send it to overtime in the dying seconds of regulation. Both teams fought hard in OT, not giving an inch to an opponent, but as it often happens in very close Play-offs encounters, a winner was decided by the slightest of margins. CSKA quite simply outlasted UNICS in a battle of men - 92:90.

Of course, that kind of a 4th quarter collapse in a game that should have been won, had carried a deep emotional effect on UNICS' players in a game the next day. It seemed as if they never recovered from blowing the lead in the end of game one, as they watched CSKA take the early advantage in game two and trailed the whole time, eventually falling in a second home game 65:61, while never leading in the game. CSKA took both away games, and despite an inspired effort from Kazan players, they had to settle for a loss in the third game played in Moscow as well. Red Army club by then was in their highest gear, brimming with confidence and finished off the opponents - 92:86.

The Finals

Highly experienced and supremely skilled CSKA was considered a heavy favorite in the Finals. On the other hand, players from Nizhniy Novgorod had shown that they were feeling just fine in the role of an underdog in the 2014 Play-offs, perhaps even preferred such perceived status for some additional motivation. Another factor was the home court advantage, the first two games of a five game series were to be played in Nizhniy Novgorod in front of a rowdy crowd, who would support their team continuously and very loudly.

Right from the opening tip of game one the Army club started to methodically build the lead by capitalizing on their advantage in size. After the first 30 minutes that lead ballooned to 17 points. Players from Nizhniy didn’t give up however and brought some intrigue back to the game in the 4th quarter, but the current champions managed to stop the bleeding, winning comfortably by double digits - 65:54. Thus Red and Blue stole the home court advantage in the series, although the team, led by coach Lukic, proved they definitely belonged on the highest stage and were ready to go toe to toe with the favorites.

Nevertheless, CSKA showed their counterparts no mercy in game two. As they did in the first game, the Red and Blue jumped out to an early lead in the first half and built it up in the 3rd quarter. Only this time around the team from Moscow managed to finish the game without letting up in the final period, like they did in game one. The final buzzer indicated a blowout win on the scoreboard - 86:59.

The 1st half of game three was an evenly matched contest, that was until CSKA went on a brief 3-minute run, at the end of which they built a 7-point lead. Nizhniy couldn’t recover from that blow and go on the run of their own, and after a little bit of back and forth, CSKA delivered a champion’s knock-out punch. CSKA swept the Finals in three games and became the VTB United League Champions for the third straight time!

“I’d like to thank the team, the players. Congratulate them on an astonishing accomplishment. They’ve stuck together, played with a lot of desire, helped each other and finished these Play-offs with nine straight wins. This has been the hardest Play-offs for us. During the year we’ve had our share of ups and downs, but down the stretch we played like a team on a mission, with the sense of urgency and responsibility and we’ve had to overcome very strong opposition. We did it by playing our best basketball.” – said Ettore Messina, CSKA's head coach, right after the final win of the series.

The Biggest Surprise

Nizhniy Novgorod without a doubt! Until recently, the 2010/11 season had to be considered this team’s best. Their accomplishments that year included: a win in a qualifying round of a Challenge Cup, Russian Cup’s Final Four appearance, the 5th place in the Russian Championship and a Coach of the Year Honor awarded to Zoran Lukic. Generally speaking, a team from the middle of the table, Nizhniy had its few moments in the 2012/13 Play-offs, first beating Spartak from St. Petersburg, then giving the mighty Lithuanian Zalgiris all they could handle in a losing effort.

All these achievements pale in comparison to their 2013/14 season. The team added a number of new players in the summer, and it took them quite some time to gel together, but they managed to get on the same page at just the right time and caught fire. Playing as a single, well-balanced unit, they wouldn’t let injuries effect the quality of team play they were putting out on the floor. They also seemed un-phased when having to face more skilled and accomplished competition. The strict and demanding coach Zoran Lukic, reliable Semyon Antonov, dangerous Taylor Rochestie, well-balanced core, their discipline on defense – all the pieces of the mosaic seemingly fell for them at the right time and they started destroying the teams in their way.

In 2013/14 season the team from the city of Nizhniy Novgorod became the semi-finalists of the Eurocup and played in the VTB United League Finals, adding the Russian Championship silver medals to their trophy case. Nizhniy made a huge leap in just a year becoming one of the leaders of Russian club basketball.

The Most Dramatic Experience

The great quarterfinals series between CSKA and Lokomotiv-Kuban, where the most accomplished team in Russian basketball found themselves in, perhaps, the most difficult situation in the club’s newest history.

Keep in mind that CSKA didn’t lose a Play-off series in the previous 12 years. The Red Army club was up 22 in the second quarter of game one, and all had seemed to be going according to the familiar plot. That is until Lokomotiv team that has never won a game in Moscow before, and which personal record against CSKA was a whopping 3 wins to 42 losses, created a small basketball miracle. The team from Krasnodar slowly chipped away at the lead and cut it in half, while CSKA still looked very relaxed being up by 11 points. The Red and Green then went on a run and not only got back in the game, but also stayed hot down the stretch. They caught just enough fire that proved to be too much even for the mighty CSKA, who fell apart - 83:87 – a remarkable win for Loko.

CSKA couldn’t snap out of that funk in the game the next day. Coach Messina and his team had uncharacteristically completely relinquished the control over the situation and lost the 2nd game by a double-digit margin - 66:81. Then there was an emotional press-conference, when Messina himself questioned his ability to control the team, then came the painful loss in the Final Four of the Euroleague. It seemed as if everything was snowballing downhill according to the textbook worst case scenario, and just as CSKA was supposed to get completely crushed, they reminded everyone why you should never underestimate the heart of the champion! They went into a hostile, loud, Red and Green confines of the Basket Hall that demanded that the champion be dethroned, and pulled out two closely fought, tooth and nail, dramatic wins - 76:73 and 79:78.

The pressure on the court before the game 5 was enormous, but CSKA wouldn’t let it get the best of them, after overcoming the two games to none deficit. Loko managed to somewhat contain the Army club in the 1st half, only to be shown no mercy by the Red and Blue machine and the reigning champions in the 3rd quarter. CSKA went on an impressive run and set the record straight in the series for good - 84:65, a heroic effort by the Red and Blue, who went on to finish the 2014 Play-offs with a clean sweep.

The Heroes

Andrew Goudelock.
His long distance bombardment, cold-blooded control during the game’s pressure moments, impressive buzzer-beaters. An unstoppable American started the season on a high note and never since let up the pace, deservingly winning the Regular Season MVP award.

Cory Higgins.
The Triumph were off to a slow start. The addition of Higgins in October took the team from Lubertsy to another level. As a result the club from Moscow region finished 3rd in a group, mostly behind Higgins’ scoring effort – a League leading 21,5 ppg.

Randy Culpepper.
Always a threat to score on a fast break and a shooter that’s just waiting to get hot, Randy brought the element of Showtime to the game. While time after time dominating the League’s highlight reel, Culpepper also put up impressive scoring numbers on several occasions, setting League’s record for points in a single game with 41, and helping his squad in the Play-offs race.

Aleksandr Kaun.
The Defensive Player of the Year. In Kaun’s case we need to mention his frontcourt partner Nenad Krstic. Neither one of them had put up eye-popping Play-offs stat lines, but they were quick to help or cover for each other when it was needed. Their size and interchangeable set of skills set CSKA’s frontcourt apart from the completion, becoming the deciding factor in them winning yet another trophy.

Taylor Rochestie.
This American guard has played his finest basketball during the Play-offs, becoming an instrumental part of his team’s offense. Taylor scored on consistent basis, proved himself in the key moments by hitting some very clutch shots under pressure. You can’t underestimate his role in Nizhniy team’s great success this year.

Milos Teodosic.
CSKA were led by the Serbian during two must-win games in Krasnodar. He willed them to win and after they came back from being down 0-2 there was no stopping them. Defenders will continue to have nightmares of the Serb’s seemingly off-balanced three pointers. Teo scored, found open teammates with his brilliant passes, limited the turnovers. He had reset the team’s offense and simply wouldn’t let them lose, therefore fully deserving the Play-offs MVP honors, adding yet more golden hardware to the already impressive list of his team and individual accomplishments.

The Numbers

18 Wins in 18 Games – Khimki, led by Rimas Kurtinaitis, set a perfect Regular Season mark, which can only be duplicated in the future.

41 points – Scored by Randy Culpepper in his debut game for Krasniy Oktyabr vs. Tsmoki-Minsk is, to this day, the highest single player scoring game in the history of the League.

225 points – Scored by both teams in a same game on 14th of October 2013 in Minsk is the highest two-team total for points in League history. Team from Volgograd won - 113:112.

66,9 FG% – A Center from Donetsk Marco Killigsworth rarely missed a shot in the 15 games he played that season.

The Video

Summary