Basketball News, Scores, Stats, Analysis, Standings

It’s still too early stage of the Regular Season in 2MLS, but even now we can clearly see the difference between stronger teams and outsiders. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

Borac ZM (5-1) recorded its first loss in Zemun on Wednesday night. Hosts were edged by eleventh ranked Klik (2-4) 103-100. It ended at the same time the five-game winning streak of Borac ZM. Klik shot 60.6 percent from the field. Strangely Borac ZM outrebounded Klik 38-22 including a 17-4 advantage in offensive rebounds. Klik looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. The best player for the winners was Ratko Arsovic (-1999) who scored 35 points (!!!) and 7 assists. Nikola Radovanovic (195-2001) chipped in 23 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 steals. At the other side the best for losing team was power forward Milivoje Bozovic (210-1985) who recorded 22 points and 9 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Klik maintains eleventh position with 2-4 record, which they share with Ivanjica and Zeleznicar Indj. Borac ZM at the other side still keeps top place with one game lost. They share the position with Gajdobra and Proleter. Klik is looking forward to face higher ranked Nis (#5) at home in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Borac ZM will play against Dunav (#9) in Stari Banovci and is hoping to win this game.
Very important is a road loss of third ranked Beko (4-2) against thirteenth ranked Zeleznicar Indj. (2-4) on Wednesday night. Visiting Beko was defeated by Zeleznicar Indj. in Indjija 101-86. It was a good game for point guard Aleksandar Vlahovic (189-1990, agency: 011 Sports) who led his team to a victory with 23 points and 7 assists. Nikola Becin contributed with 15 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. Stefan Balmazovic (201-1989) replied with 28 points for Beko. Beko’s coach rotated ten players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Zeleznicar Indj. moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with Ivanjica and Klik. Beko at the other side dropped to the fourth position with two games lost. They share it with 4 other teams. Zeleznicar Indj. will play against bottom-ranked Zeleznicar (#16) in Cacak in the next round where they are favorite. Beko will play at home against Radnik (#15) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Bottom-ranked Radnik (0-6) tried to put together a comeback for its first victory of the season, but they fell short in the 98-85 loss to fourteenth ranked Ivanjica (2-4) in Surdulica on Wednesday evening. Aleksandar Miletic had a double-double by scoring 25 points and 11 rebounds (on 10-of-12 shooting from the field) to lead the charge for the winners. Ivanjica’s coach Blagoja Ivic used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. The best for the losing side was Veljko Rancic with 34 points (!!!) and 6 rebounds. Ivanjica moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with Klik and Zeleznicar Indj. Loser Radnik SU still closes the standings with six games lost. They share the position with Zeleznicar. Ivanjica will meet at home higher ranked Proleter (#3) in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Radnik will play against Beko (#4) where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.

Rest of the games of round 6 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Zdravlje was defeated by Proleter in Zrenjanin 95-86. Gajdobra beat Loznica at home 76-70. Zemun was destroyed by Pirot on the opponent’s court 93-64. Kolubara managed to outperform Dunav in a home game 86-77. Winless Zeleznicar was rolled over Nis on the road 101-79.

Radnik SU – Ivanjica 85-98

Bottom-ranked Radnik (0-6) tried to put together a comeback for its first victory of the season, but they fell short in the 98-85 loss to fourteenth ranked Ivanjica (2-4) in Surdulica on Wednesday evening. They dominated down low during the game scoring 50 of its points in the paint compared to Radnik SU‘s 26. Ivanjica looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. Aleksandar Miletic (203-1987) had a double-double by scoring 25 points and 11 rebounds (on 10-of-12 shooting from the field) to lead the charge for the winners and guard Matija Milosevic (193-2005) chipped in 20 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists during the contest. Four Ivanjica players scored in double figures. Ivanjica’s coach Blagoja Ivic used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. The best for the losing side was Veljko Rancic (-1997) with 34 points (!!!) and 6 rebounds and point guard Uros Nesic (182-1995) scored 17 points and 6 assists. Ivanjica moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with Klik and Zeleznicar Indj. Loser Radnik SU still closes the standings with six games lost. They share the position with Zeleznicar. Ivanjica will meet at home higher ranked Proleter (#3) in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Radnik will play against Beko (#4) where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.
Top scorers:
Ivanjica: A.Miletic 25+11reb+2ast, M.Milosevic 20+7reb+4ast, N.Knezevic 17+3reb+1ast, M.Davidovic 15+3reb+7ast, O.Stojanovic 7+5reb+3ast, L.Kovacevic 6+4reb+1ast
Radnik SU: V.Rancic 34+6reb+1ast, U.Nesic 17+4reb+6ast, L.Stevanovic 14+2reb+3ast, O.Vukadinovic 7+4reb+2ast, D.Pavlovic 6+4reb+3ast, S.Grujic 5+12reb+4ast

gschID: 1211475

Proleter – Zdravlje 95-86

There was no surprise in Zrenjanin where 8th ranked Zdravlje (3-3) was defeated by second ranked Proleter (5-1) 95-86 on Thursday. Proleter shot 60.3 percent from the field. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Proleter made 7 blocks. Ranko Kumovic (197-2002) scored 20 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks to lead the charge for the winners and center Marko Tomic (208-1993) chipped in 21 points and 6 rebounds during the contest. Proleter’s coach Zoran Bajin used entire bench saving starting five for next games. The best for the losing side was Bosnian forward Nikola Danicic (203-2001, college: Monroe Coll.) with 27 points and 5 rebounds (on 12-of-15 shooting from the field) and center Nikola Stefanovic (206-1999) scored 18 points. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Proleter have a solid three-game winning streak. They keep a position of league leader, which they share with Gajdobra and Borac ZM. Loser Zdravlje dropped to the ninth place with three games lost. They share the position with Dunav. Proleter will meet Ivanjica (#13) on the road in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Zdravlje will play against the league’s second-placed Gajdobra (#2) and hope to secure a win and be promoted back to the KLS just one year after relegation.
Top scorers:
Proleter: M.Tomic 21+6reb+1ast, R.Kumovic 20+9reb+1ast, M.Omaljev 19+1reb+5ast, L.Martinovic 14+4reb+2ast, D.Mijatovic 7+4reb+4ast, M.Vojvodic 6+3reb
Zdravlje: N.Danicic 27+5reb, N.Stefanovic 18+3reb, D.Jovic 12+5reb+2ast, N.Zigon 10+6reb+5ast, S.Stefanovic 6+5reb+8ast, A.Andrejevic 5+2reb+2ast

gschID: 1211476

Gajdobra – Loznica 76-70

Everything could happen at the game between two tied teams. Both fourth ranked Gajdobra and 5th ranked Loznica had identical 4-1 record. This time Gajdobra used a home court advantage and defeated the opponent from Loznica 76-70 on Wednesday night. It was a key game for the top position in the league. Gajdobra made 18-of-23 free shots (78.3 percent) during the game. Guard Nino Celebic (191-1991) scored 17 points and 8 assists to lead the charge for the winners and forward Stojan Dodic (200-1998) chipped in 13 points and 11 rebounds during the contest. The best for the losing side was Djordje Lelic (198-1989, agency: PEPI SPORT) with 23 points and power forward Filip Vukosavljevic (201-1983) produced a double-double by scoring 14 points and 11 rebounds. Loznica’s coach tested ten players in this game, but that didn’t help. Gajdobra (5-1) have an impressive five-game winning streak. They keep a position of league leader, which they share with Proleter and Borac ZM. Loser Loznica dropped to the fourth place with two games lost. They share the position with 4 other teams. Gajdobra will meet Zdravlje (#10) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Loznica will play against Pirot (#7) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Gajdobra: N.Celebic 17+4reb+8ast, N.Gacesa 14+8reb, S.Dodic 13+11reb+1ast, F.Stanojevic 8+1reb+1ast, L.Nedeljkov 7+4reb+4ast, B.Zagradjanin 6+1reb
Loznica: D.Lelic 23+4reb+3ast, F.Vukosavljevic 14+11reb+1ast, D.Cicic 10+7reb+1ast, B.Nedeljkovic 9+3reb+1ast, U.Bardak 4+5reb, S.Mirovic 4+3reb

gschID: 1211477

Pirot – Zemun 93-64

Rather expected game when 12th ranked Zemun (1-5) was rolled over on the road by tenth ranked Pirot (4-2) 93-64 on Wednesday. Pirot made 19-of-25 free shots (76.0 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists comparing to just 8 passes made by Zemun‘s players. Forward Vuk Vasic (202-2002) had a double-double by scoring 11 points, 15 rebounds and 4 assists to lead the charge for the winners and forward Dusan Filipovic (188-1992) chipped in 21 points during the contest. Five Pirot players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was Milos Savkovic (-2004) with 17 points and 8 rebounds and center Lazar Trifkovic (207-2002) scored 9 points and 10 rebounds. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Pirot moved-up to fourth place, which they share with 4 other teams. Zemun lost third consecutive game. Newly promoted team dropped to the fourteenth position with five games lost. Pirot will meet Loznica (#6) on the road in the next round. Zemun will play against Kolubara (#8) and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Pirot: D.Filipovic 21+4reb+3ast, U.Radulovic 19+7reb+2ast, D.Rakocevic 16+7ast, V.Vasic 11+15reb+4ast, M.Matovic 10, N.Djonlic 10+6reb+9ast
Zemun: M.Savkovic 17+8reb, M.Pavelic 11+5reb+1ast, V.Visnjic 10+1reb+3ast, L.Trifkovic 9+10reb+1ast, S.Adzic 8+4reb+1ast, M.Stamenic 4+4reb+1ast

gschID: 1211478

Kolubara – Dunav SB 86-77

Everything could happen in Lazarevac at the game between two tied teams. Both ninth ranked Kolubara and 6th ranked Dunav had identical 3-2 record. This time Kolubara used a home court advantage and beat the opponent from Stari Banovci 86-77 on Wednesday night. Kolubara outrebounded Dunav 41-27 including 28 on the defensive glass. Kolubara looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists comparing to just 9 passes made by Dunav‘s players. The former international power forward Stefan Bircevic (210-1989, agency: BIG) had a double-double by scoring 11 points and 13 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and point guard Nikola Simic (191-1988) chipped in 15 points and 5 assists during the contest. Kolubara’s coach allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. The best for the losing side was guard Dusan Popovic (187-2000) with 20 points and 5 assists (went 8 for 8 at the free throw line) and Mateja Mulabdic (-2003) scored 19 points and 6 rebounds. Five Kolubara and four Dunav players scored in double figures. Kolubara have a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to fourth place, which they share with 4 other teams. Loser Dunav SB dropped to the ninth position with three games lost. They share it with Zdravlje. Kolubara will meet Zemun (#14) on the road in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Dunav will play against the league’s leader Borac ZM (#1) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Kolubara: N.Simic 15+1reb+5ast, P.Radojicic 14+6reb, D.Jevtic 13+6reb+2ast, S.Bircevic 11+13reb+2ast, V.Drobnjakovic 10+4reb+5ast, N.Katusic 9+5reb+2ast
Dunav SB: D.Popovic 20+2reb+5ast, M.Mulabdic 19+6reb+1ast, O.Petronijevic 11+1reb+3ast, D.Galic 11+3reb, B.Popovic 5+5reb, O.Vasiljevic 4+4reb

gschID: 1211479

Borac ZM – Klik A. 100-103

gschID: 1211480

Nis – Zeleznicar C. 101-79

Not a big story in a game when bottom-ranked Zeleznicar (0-6) was outplayed on the road by seventh ranked Nis (4-2) 101-79 on Wednesday. Nis made 19-of-24 free shots (79.2 percent) during the game. Swingman Andrija Marjanovic (203-1999) scored 30 points to lead the charge for the winners and forward Zoran Paunovic (200-2000) chipped in 23 points and 5 rebounds during the contest. The best for the losing side was point guard Petar Radovic (182-2007) with 21 points and 4 assists and guard Petar Rakovic (189-1989) scored 20 points. Four Zeleznicar players scored in double figures. Nis moved-up to fourth place, which they share with 4 other teams. Loser Zeleznicar C. still closes the standings with six games lost. They share the position with Radnik. Nis will meet Klik (#11) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Zeleznicar will play against Zeleznicar Indj. (#12) and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Nis: A.Marjanovic 30+4reb+1ast, Z.Paunovic 23+5reb+1ast, S.Stamenkovic 16+8reb+2ast, M.Gavrilovic 9+6ast, B.Milutinovic 7+3reb+3ast, L.Draskovic 7+2reb+1ast
Zeleznicar C.: P.Radovic 21+4reb+4ast, P.Rakovic 20+3reb+2ast, D.Krunic 13+3reb+1ast, L.Bojovic 10, A.Susic 8+9reb+2ast, O.Sekulovic 6+3reb

gschID: 1211481

Zeleznicar Indj. – Beko 101-86

Very important is a road loss of third ranked Beko (4-2) against thirteenth ranked Zeleznicar Indj. (2-4) on Wednesday night. Visiting Beko was defeated by Zeleznicar Indj. in Indjija 101-86. Zeleznicar Indj. dominated down low during the game scoring 72 of its points in the paint compared to Beko‘s 48. Zeleznicar Indj. had a 26-15 advantage in offensive rebounds. It was a good game for point guard Aleksandar Vlahovic (189-1990, agency: 011 Sports) who led his team to a victory with 23 points and 7 assists. Nikola Becin (-2003) contributed with 15 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. Stefan Balmazovic (201-1989) replied with 28 points and center Stefan Djordjevic (206-1989) added 13 points and 8 rebounds in the effort for Beko. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Beko’s coach rotated ten players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Zeleznicar Indj. moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with Ivanjica and Klik. Beko at the other side dropped to the fourth position with two games lost. They share it with 4 other teams. Zeleznicar Indj. will play against bottom-ranked Zeleznicar (#16) in Cacak in the next round where they are favorite. Beko will play at home against Radnik (#15) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Zeleznicar Indj.: A.Vlahovic 23+1reb+7ast, N.Becin 15+9reb, M.Pokrajac 14+7reb+1ast, B.Riznic 14+4reb+3ast, R.Radonjic 11+4reb, A.Miljkovic 9+4reb+3ast
Beko: S.Balmazovic 28+3reb, S.Djordjevic 13+8reb+2ast, U.Zoric 12+5reb+1ast, D.Stanojevic 12+3reb+8ast, D.Stankovic 8+1reb+1ast, M.Stefanovic 7+2reb+1ast