Russian Basketball Federation president Andrei Kirilenko has criticised the officiating during CSKA Moscow’s narrow game four win over Khimki on Friday.
CSKA won 89-88 thanks to a clutch basket in the lane by Cory Higgins with 5.1 seconds left but many thought that the American had travelled with the ball prior to him putting the shot up.
But the referees had blown the whistle after play had resumed as Charles Jenkins scored in transition.
It could have been the game-winner to take the game back to CSKA’s home court, but the officials didn’t count it since they stopped the game just moments before.
“I wanted to see a fifth game and Khimki did everything for this.I think that the last decision was terrible,” Kirilenko said in an official statement, per the Russian Federation.
”I don’t know exactly what happened there.I don’t know what guided the referee to stop the game. If it was his fault or an error of the officiating table. But in my opinion, stopping the offence at such a moment, was wrong.
“I feel very sad for Khimki but they should have won Game 4 against CSKA Moscow. I wouldn’t like to see this kind of situations. It turned out It’s a pity that there are such officiating errors recently in EuroLeague.”
