by:
Javier Gancedo, Eurocupbasketball.com
May 2, 2012
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It is every coach's dream to be lifted by his players at the end of a final, because that means your team has won that competition. Only one coach, however, has been hoisted by his players after two Eurocup finals – Rimas Kurtinaitis. Before he helped BC Khimki Moscow Region win the Eurocup trophy this season, Kurtinaitis previously lifted the trophy with Lietuvos Rytas in 2009. Khimki fans who saw their team lose that title game in 2009 rejoiced this time with Kurtainitis as he gave them this season what he took away back then. A recent contract extension secured Kurtinaitis’s place on the Khimki sideline for another season, in which the team will play the Turkish Airlines Euroleague for the third time in four years. Kurtinaitis, a World champion and Olympic gold medalist as a player, is building a very successful coaching career, too. As the team battles on hoping to win the Russian League title, Kurtinaitis continues to look ahead, as he told us in this Eurocupbasketball.com interview. "As a coach, you always want to work at the highest level and the Euroleague is the best competition in Europe. I am happy to be there and know that the competition level will be different from this season; it will be much better," Kurtinaitis said. "We want Khimki to compete at the highest level not only in the Eurocup, but also in the Euroleague."
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by:
Javier Gancedo, Eurocupbasketball.com
April 25, 2012
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At the end of a long and grueling Eurocup season, BC Khimki Moscow Region accomplished its goal and celebrated its first Eurocup championship. No one was happier than the 2012 Eurocup Finals MVP Zoran Planinic, who dominated the title game, but had to sweat out the last few minutes after fouling out. A well-rounded veteran with eight years of Euroleague experience under his belt, Planinic enjoyed a dream Eurocup debut season, in which he was also named to the All-Eurocup First Team. Planinic scored 12 points in Khimki's come-from-behind semifinals win over Spartak St. Petersburg, which left the club just one win from its goal. Planinic then led Khimki in the final with 19 points on 9-of-11 two-point shooting and 4 assists. The Eurocup title also means a berth in the 2012-13 Turkish Airlines Euroleague, for which Khimki has already been preparing. Among the first things the club has done was to reached an agreement to extend Planinic’s contract for one more season. Now Planinic warns that Khimki will give Euroleague fans plenty of reasons to talk about them. "I don't think that Khimki will play the role of a team that is just happy to be there," Planinic told Eurocupbasketball.com. "I think we have a lot of experienced players and coaches who want to do something important in the Euroleague. We will be dangerous and do a lot of good stuff."
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by:
Javier Gancedo, Eurocupbasketball.com
April 12, 2012
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Few young players know the Eurocup as well as Valencia Basket point guard Stefan Markovic. In his six years in the competition, Markovic has been to the semifinals with three different teams - Hemofarm Stafa, Benetton Basket and now Valencia. Markovic, 23, is already the competition’s all-time assists leader with 250 in 64 games. Markovic also ranks fourth in career steals with 104. Despite an injury-plagued season, Markovic has recovered in time for the Eurocup Finals and is set to see extended playing time not only because of his experience, but also because backup point guard Rodrigo San Miguel will miss the event due to a leg injury. Markovic figures to work harder than ever to have the chance to lift the trophy on Sunday night, as he told us in this Eurocupbasketball.com interview. "It would mean everything to me. I feel like I have an obligation to win the Eurocup; I would love to do it, it would be like a dream come true," Markovic told Eurocupbasketball.com. "After so many years in this competition, it would be a great reward for all the hard work I put in during this time."
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by:
Frank Lawlor, Eurocupbasketball.com
April 11, 2012
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Sergey Monya is among BC Khimki’s most versatile and most experienced players. A veteran of multiple Euroleague Final Fours, in addition to a previous appearance in the Eurocup semifinals, Monya knows a thing or two about big games. Moreover, having played the vast majority of his career in and around Moscow – including the 2005 Euroleague Final Four with CSKA in the Russian capital – Monya is well versed in what it takes to compete for trophies there. This season has been one of Monya's best. Monya leads Khimki in rebounds and blocked shots and is taking and making more three-pointers than at any point in his career. Monya also has one motivation that sets him apart from any other Eurocup Finals participant: he turns 29 on Sunday, the day the 2012 Eurocup trophy will be handed out. "I must confess that I’ll try to give myself a fantastic present," Monya told Eurocupbasketball.com. "I will try to do my best, but only through the game can we show who we are. The main thing is not to burn out and to be ready for everything.”
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