The basketball players of Cedevita Olimpija broke the streak of three defeats and defeated Cibona in the 22nd round of the ABA League. For their 15th Adriatic victory of the season in Tivoli, they beat the Zagreb wolves, who have major financial problems, with 91:85.
They played the duel with Cibona weakened, as both wing centers Amar Alibegović and Edo Murić were injured. Also last year, the dragons played host to the wolves in Tivoli, who interrupted the 15th consecutive international victories of the Slovenian champions. This time, the people of Ljubljana won for the first time under the leadership of Mir Alilović. Zoran Dragić and Josh Adams were the best home scorers with 19 points each, Alen Omić added 13, and Marko Jeremic 12.
A strike before visiting Ljubljana
Olimpija has already secured the playoffs, and is in the fight for third place, where Budućnost has an advantage due to a better mutual profit. It is an exciting time for the people of Ljubljana. Ten days ago, they lost to Lietkabelis and were left without a chance to qualify for the European Cup elimination rounds. Then they lost heavily on the road in Zadar, and after this defeat, the club’s management parted ways with head coach Jurica Golemec. He was replaced by his assistant Alilović, but it will soon be clear if he will lead the team until the end of the season.
The people of Zagreb, who had the loud support of the fan group in the temple of Slovenian basketball, came to visit Ljubljana after two good Adriatic performances, when they narrowly lost to Budućnost, and before that they even surprised Crvena zvezda. The two-time European champion is in big financial problems, the players even went on strike before the match with Olimpia due to non-payment, but this time too they offered good resistance.
The decisive 14-0 run at the end of the third and the beginning of the last quarter
Cibona started the match with a bang and led by seven after three minutes. Twice more in the first quarter, when she scored five three-pointers, she led by such a margin, and then the people of Ljubljana came close thanks to Dragić, who contributed nine points in the first ten minutes. After a poor home start to the second quarter, the wolves again gained a seven-point lead after three minutes, after which Yogi Ferrell and Jeremić scored three-pointers, and in the 16th minute Rok Radović completed the series 9:0 for the first Ljubljana team with a basket and an additional free throw leadership. Kapusta scored from behind the line 68 seconds before the end of the half to put Cibona back in the lead, after which Olimpija made it 8-0 in 34 seconds and went into the break with a 47-41 advantage.
The dragons also had a bad start to the third quarter and scored the first basket after three minutes. Cibona reached -1 by then. At the end of the quarter, the hosts did not find themselves against Zagreb zones and wards of Josip Sucker took the lead in the 29th minute after Domagoj Vuković scored. Adams and Matic Rebec were successful from behind the line, so that the people of Ljubljana led 65:60 before the last quarter. They continued in this rhythm, made a total series of 14:0 and the difference was double digits for the first time in the meeting. Before the last eight minutes, it was 73:60 on the scoreboard. Cibona got to -7, then Dragić scored for three, although the guests did not give in, but the match was decided after a basket by Karel Matković 45 seconds before the end.
Round 22:CEDEVITA OLYMPIA – CIBONA91:85 (22:26, 25:15, 18:19, 26:25)1500; Dragić and Adams 19 each, Omić 13, Jeremic 12, Ferrell 7, Matković and Rebec 6 each, Radović 5, Mulalić 4; Kapusta 22, Mazalin 17, Bundović 16, Vuković and Ljubičić 8 each, Smajlagić and Majcunić 6 each, Perasović 2.
MZT SKOPJE – IGOKEA 78:84
SPLIT – SAILOR 91:80
FMP – ZADAR 112:87
Sunday at 17:00: THE FIGHTER – MEGA BASKETBALL
At 19:00: RED STAR – SC DERBY
April 22: THE FUTURE – PARTISAN
Source: Rtvslo
