Cleveland was just another city I had no chance to see. Before playing our third Euroleague American Tour road game in five nights, to rest was more important. Actually, we almost did not see any of the places we visited except for a short trip to Miami Beach. But our tour was not one of sightseeing, so I have no regrets. Besides, Cleveland and Oklahoma City are nice, but they are not very famous in terms of tourism. For us, to play basketball was much more important. And we are glad with the way we finished the tour. To get the first win ever by a European club over an NBA team in the United States was great. Players react to different wins different ways, depending on the status of the game and level of the opponent. I can tell you that our reaction in the locker room after the win over the Cavs was celebratory. It was a special win for CSKA and for all of us. Objectively speaking, the Cavaliers played without their four key players, of course. At the same time, we were missing two of our best, J.R. Holden and Viktor Khryapa. In the end, both team showed their desire to play a great team game. It is difficult to single out anyone for our success, but I'd say that Siska and Jamont Gordon were great on that night.

Our main impressions are not only about basketball, but around basketball, too. The Cavaliers let us practice in their practice facility, called... more

As I already mentioned in the first blog, this is my first trip to America, so it has been very interesting both in terms of basketball and discovering the world. We do not have much time to walk around, but we still had a chance to visit the famous South Beach, to put our feet into the ocean, to eat ice cream in a café on Ocean Drive. The city reminded me of… Dubai, where I spent my vacations this summer. I do not know how to explain this similarity: they have something common in architecture, combining the skyscrapers with smaller buildings that have Caribbean style, which looks pretty similar to Arabian. And the same monorail over the streets. It's totally different in Oklahoma City, where everything around is absolutely American, country style.

I knew that the atmosphere of an NBA game was special, but the reality was above my expectations. Of course, I did not watch all the entertainment they provide for the fans during the game, but I liked the way they interact with the fans, providing a non-stop show for them. I also like these huge arenas, which we unfortunately do not have back in Russia. I even felt some jealousy about that.

The Miami Heat is, potentially, the best team in the world. Their game is not that sophisticated yet. They are trying to get the ball to their leader and let him decide. Knowing that, we played help defense, preventing LeBron and Bosh from driving to the basket. Also our veterans played great. Siska was running around screens all night, creating for himself and for the team. Matjaz played very smart, faking shots and scoring from different positions. Trajan reminded Americans that he remains the elite shooter. I imagine that... more

Dear Euroleague fans! Good morning or good evening or good day – I really do not know which as we are sitting here in the JFK airport terminal, waiting for our flight to Miami. We all have sleepy eyes, because now it's 1 a.m. in Moscow, but a good sunny day in New York. The good thing is that our long flight to NY went well – almost no turbulence. The bad thing is that the bed is still far, far away.

This is my first-ever trip to the U.S., so I do not know how to deal with the jetlag. My friends say that I should stay awake until late evening local time. Yes, but the time goes sooooo slowly…

When we play the Miami Heat on Tuesday, it will also be my first game against an NBA team, but not the first time I will step on-court against NBA stars. With the Russian national team, we played against the USA during our preparations for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, so I met all of the Miami Heat's big three and even matched up against Dwayne Wade. I can tell you that Wade and Kobe were the two players who impressed me most – not LeBron James, who was not that spectacular in the game against us (though he had a couple of terrific dunks).

I think that all these things are most interesting for you, the fans. As for me, I do not think about the opponents, personally. What is important for me is the chance to participate in a celebration of basketball, to see a huge, sold-out arena, to play against the best in the world. This is a chance to test myself, to feel the pressure and the spirit of big basketball.

We all know that Barcelona defeated the Lakers at home last week, but I think that you should not draw... more