RUS/MNE - Vujosevic steps down from Montenegro, CSKA fall again
MOSCOW (PBL/EuroBasket) – Dusko Vujosevic has had the Midas touch the past several years, doing wondrous things for both Partizan Belgrade and Montenegro’s national team. Earlier this year was probably his finest hour. He steered huge underdogs Partizan into the Euroleague Final Four and followed that up with a first-place ...
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MOSCOW (PBL/EuroBasket) – Dusko Vujosevic has had the Midas touch the past several years, doing wondrous things for both Partizan Belgrade and Montenegro’s national team.
Earlier this year was probably his finest hour.
He steered huge underdogs Partizan into the Euroleague Final Four and followed that up with a first-place finish in EuroBasket Division A, Group A, with Montenegro.
After a difficult start to life at his new post as coach of CSKA Moscow, with just one win and four defeats in the Euroleague, Vujosevic announced he is stepping down from his national team job.
One day later, on Sunday, he suffered his first defeat in the PBL with CSKA in a 71-69 loss to UNICS Kazan.
UNICS are led by Evgeny Pashutin, the man Vujosevic replaced at CSKA.
Vujosevic’s men will try to put the latest disappointment behind them when they travel to Italy for a must-win game at Armani Jeans Milano (2-3) on Wednesday.
There is good news.
Lithuania sharpshooter Ramunas Siskauskas has returned to training after recovering from a back injury and could feature in Italy though his availability won’t be known until Wednesday morning.
Injury, however, will prevent Alexey Shved from playing.
"The game has unbelievable importance for both teams – in fact it means if the team will qualify for the Top 16 or not,” Vujosevic said.
“AJ (Armani Jeans) do not have true big men so on defense, they use a lot of double teams and they pressure the ball aggressively.
“As the result they force a lot of mistakes by the opponents.
“For example, Panathinaikos had 21 turnovers last week. And they build their offense off the turnovers, trying to run fast breaks and to spread the defense by having four shooters on the perimeter simultaneously. Our task is to make them play our style of game and to show the enthusiasm necessary for success."
Also in Russia over the weekend, BC Khimki bounced back from their tough Euroleague defeat at Zalgiris to beat Dynamo Moscow 97-93 in double overtime.
Khimki take on Asseco Prokom in Poland on Wednesday.
On Tuesday night, UNICs are in action in the Eurocup at home against Banvit BK.
FIBA