UNICS Kazan wins the Eurocup

UNICS Kazan-Cajasol Sevilla 92-77 (32-16, 51-36, 71-62)

Partial scores: 5' 16-4, 10' 32-16, 15' 40-23, 20' 51-36, 25' 57-48, 30' 71-62, 35' 80-66, 40' 92-77

Boxscore on: http://www.eurocupbasketball.com/ulebcup/competition/results/showgame?gamecode=156

Finally the final of Eurocup, and Treviso's crowd supports Kazan. Kazan starts with Popovic, Lyday, McCarty, 

Veremeenko, Lampe, Sevilla risponde con Bullock, Satoransky, Kirksay, Ivanov, Davis.

The first score is of Kirksay from the low post, answered by a drive of Popovic. Kazan starts better and goes on the 

8-4 with 4 points of Lyday, Sevilla goes to Davis but Kazan defends with a lot of energy and finds the 12-4 with 

Veremeenko and Lampe from the paint. Timeout, Sevilla needs points from his guards. The trend continues, Popovic-to

-Lampe for the 14-4 and Sevilla doesn't score. The Spaniards finally find two points with Triguero but we are 16-6 

and Kazan goes to his perimeter players; McCarty for the 3pointer of 19-6 and Popovic for the 22-8. 1/2 of 

Satoransky but Kirksay follows the rebound and scores the 22-11. Now Sevilla attacks the board with energy and grabs 

some points, but the problems are on defense, they passed to zone but McCarty and Popovic scored two 3pointers (28-

13) and Lampe easily scored the 30-16. A fastbreak dunk of McCarty for the +16. 32-16, end of 1st quarter, great 

Kazan who moves the ball in a fantastic way, finds easy shots and dominates the game playing with a lot of energy.

Sevilla starts the 2nd quarter with a defensive five (Satoransky, Urtasun, Kirksay, Katelynas, Triguero) but Kazan 

keeps the game in control with his own defense and playing on fastbreak. 36-18 after two free throws of Lyday. On 

36-20 Davis misses a dunk after a nice pass of Kirksay, Plaza wants a foul, the referee Cerebuch gives the technical 

foul to Plaza. Sevilla brings back his quality players on the floor but Kazan goes to 40-20 after the 2/2 of Lyday 

and a score of Veremeenko. The spanish team finds two 3pointers with Katelynas and Calloway and goes to 42-26 with 

Kazan who now struggles to find easy shots and Davis and two FTs of Bullock cut the lead to 12 points. Popovic comes 

back on the floor and scores the 46-30 with a 3pointer, then finds Pashutin for the 3p shot from the corner of 49-

30. Bullock shows his experience manufacturing 4 points and the press defense of Sevilla is causing many problems to 

the Russians. Kazan keeps to struggle against the press but finds a way to go to the other half court and scores the 

buzzer with McCarty. 51-36 at the half time.

Kazan plays well, Popovic is the MVP and he's leading the Russian offense, 13 points fr McCarty who is causing many 

problems, Sevilla needs to continue with the press defense and needs a good second half on shooting (3/14 from 3p).

The second half starts with the same starting five of the 1st for Kazan and Bullock, Satoransky, Kirksay, Katelynas, 

Triguero for Sevilla.

Kirksay and Triguero give faith to Sevilla but Lyday scores the +13 from his dribble. Sevilla starts the second half 

with great intensity, Bullock scores the -11 then Triguero steals the ball in Kazan's halfcourt. -9 with Katelynas 

and the Spanish fans start to believe in the miracle, even more when Katelynas keeps Sevilla on -9 after a wonderful 

alley-oop by Satoransky then repeats himself with a great pass to Triguero for the dunk of -7. What a third quarter, 

great pass by Popovic to Rizvic, 57-48, then the Croat finds the 59-48. Huge block by Satoransky on Lyday who stole 

previously the ball and was ready to dunk. 5 of Bullock but Popovic and McCarty answer with 6 points, and Sevilla 

doesn't seem to be able to find his bigmen. Popovic continues to create for Rizvic, but Sevilla fights and is 67-57 

with 2' to the end of 3rd quarter. 69-58 before a turnover of Kirksay, Popovic steals the ball, grabs the foul of 

Ivanov and scores both FTs. Irregular screen of a Davis went out from the match, but Sevilla steals the ball and 

causes the 5th foul of Rizvic. 1/2 but team rebound and Calloway makes the buzzer. 71-62, Sevilla in the game 

especially with Rizvic fouled out and Veremeenko with 4 fouls.

The last 10 minutes of this Eurocup start with a mid-range shot of Lampe, then Sevilla commits a 24 seconds 

violation. Other score of Lampe who answers to Urtasun for the 75-64, then on 75-66 McCarty fakes the lay-up and 

causes a flagrant foul of Triguero. 1/2 and an error of Popovic, but now it's a defensive game, the teams don't 

score, before Popovic who gives a great assist to Lampe who dunks the 78-66 with 5'53" on the clock. Then Lampe 

fixes the result on 80-66 with a tap-in, and seems to build a tombstone on the Cajasol's ambitions. 5th foul of 

Veremeenko and Pashutin decides to go with McCarty as a PF, Triguero misses both FTs. Lampe answers with a tap-in to 

a score of the Spanish bigman, Kazan is in control and closes the match with a 3-pointer of Lyday, 85-68 with 3'17" 

remaining. 89-70 with 2' remaining. On 92-75 Plaza puts on the floor even Cabanas. The game ends 92-77, Kazan wins 

the 2010-2011 Eurocup, wins the right to play in the 2011-2012 Euroleague regular season and becomes the first 

russian team to win this competition.

Our MVP is Marko Popovic, we will see who will be the official MVP of this Eurocup finals. Yes, Marko Popovic is 

also the official MVP, he seems very proud of this award and of the Eurocup title.

Interviews:

Evgeny Pashutin (head coach, UNICS Kazan): "Congratulations to them because they gave everything on the court, but 

we are very happy, it's a great day for the city of Kazan, for our club, we dreamed to be in the Euroleague for many 

many years, now we're in the Euroleague and we are gonna start a new dream".

Marko Popovic (guard, MVP of the Eurocup Finals, UNICS Kazan): "It's a big honor to win this Eurocup, we worked really hard to win this competition. We were upset by the elimination in the Euroleague preliminary rounds but we're a great team, we enjoyed this experience and we won. I need some days to realize this success.".

Joan Plaza (head coach, Cajasol Sevilla): "Thanks to our fans, not only people from Sevilla but from other parts of 

Spain. I want to thank our team because we must be very proud of our Eurocup and I want to thank other people who 

work for the club. Yesterday we gave everything, so today we were not in our better shape. They started better, we 

didn't give up but they were better, our players gave everything but today they were better and they deserved to 

win. Satoransky? He played well, he can improve from his mistakes, today we could give some playing time to Calloway 

but next season he will show everything he can do. We worked well last two years, we must keep working to grow this 

club".