European Champions' Cup Play-Offs 1970-1971

The final between Ignis and CSKA in Antwerp was a remarkably focused on the defensive, although it was always the Soviets who set the tempo of the game. The pillar of CSKA Sergej Belov - an 'American' player by technique and personality - was undoubtedly the great catalyst for the victory of the team from Moscow. Although he didn't jump on the court in the first five minutes to fulfil his improvised coaching role, when Belov finally got into the game in the eighth minute of the first half he started his particular exhibition, with fantasy plays and baskets of all colours, until he became the top scorer of the match (24 points, 18 of them achieved in the second half).

After a few first bars of slight Italian dominance on the scoreboard (4-10, min. 2), with strong individual defenses by both teams, in the 6th minute CSKA's first lead (12-10) came and the panorama changed completely. With fast counterattacks, the Russians began to open differences, although the exit of track of the crossbar Zharmukhamedov - an authentic wall under the hoop - returned to approach in the marker to the Ignis until leaving it in a 28-26 to the rest.

At the restart, however, the game began to swing clearly to the Soviet side. Kul'kov, Edeshko, Belov, Kovyrkin and Zharmukhamedov (CSKA's starting five in this second half) began to give a performance, with the base-base Belov as the star player, using the weapons that could least be expected from the traditionally rigid and mechanised Soviet basketball: imagination, speed and fantasy. At the Ignis, meanwhile, nothing seemed to work. Nikoli seated an unknown Raga (just 3 points) and Meneghin (the one with the sword of Damocles from the personals). When the Italian pivot returned to the track, Belov skillfully sought him out and took the fifth personal foul. From that moment on, the Italian squad was completely at the mercy of CSKA, which was dedicated to letting the minutes go by until the end.

Courtesy of BasketFinals

CSKA Moscow - Ignis Varese 67-53

CSKA Moskva (coach: Sergei Belov (190-SG-1944)): Aleksandr Kulkov 4, Vladimir Ilyuk 6, Vadim Kapranov 4, Nikolaj Kovyrkin 4, Alzhan Zharmukhamedov 14; Sergei Belov 24, Ivan Edeshko 5, Evgenij Kovalenko 6, Nikolaj Gilgner, Valerij Miloserdov dnp, Boris Subbotin dnp, Sergeij Yastrebov dnp
Ignis Varese (coach: Aza Nikolic): Aldo Ossola 4, Manuel Raga 3, John Fultz 22, Ottorino Flaborea 6, Dino Meneghin 8; Iwan Bisson 4, Dodo Rusconi 4, Paolo Vittori 2, Paolo Polzot dnp, Augusto D'Amico dnp, Giorgio Consonni dnp, Toto Bulgheroni