Basketball News, Scores, Stats, Analysis, Standings

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The most exciting game of round 9 in the ABA League took place in Podgorica. This derby game ended with only three-point home defeat of second-best Montenegrin Buducnost (7-2) to fifth ranked Serbian Spartak (6-3) 78-75 on Sunday evening. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Buducnost. Spartak made 20-of-22 free shots (90.9 percent) during the game. The best player for the winners was American guard Rasir Bolton (190-1999, college: Gonzaga, agency: Octagon Europe) who scored 20 points. His fellow American import guard Umoja Gibson (185-1998, college: DePaul) chipped in 15 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was Bosnian center Kenan Kamenjas (207-2000) who recorded 9 points and 11 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Spartak have a solid series of four victories in a row. They maintain fifth place with 6-3 record. Defending Montenegrin champion Buducnost keeps the second position with two games lost. They share it with Crvena zvezda and Dubai. Spartak are looking forward to face higher ranked Crvena zvezda (#3) in Beograd in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Buducnost will play on the road against Cibona in Zagreb and is hoping to win this game.
One of the most interesting games of round 9 was a derby match between two teams from Serbia. The game took place in Beograd where fourth ranked Crvena zvezda outleveled visiting Borac CA (3-6) 105-85. It was a good game for Lithuanian Rokas Giedraitis (200-1992) who led his team to a victory with 15 points and 6 rebounds. Ognjen Dobric contributed with 16 points and 4 assists (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field) for the winners. Crvena zvezda’s coach used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Center Marko Pavicevic (209-2002) answered with 23 points (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field) for Borac. Crvena zvezda (7-2) have an impressive series of six victories in a row. Defending Serbian champion (7-2) moved-up to second place, which they share with Buducnost and Dubai. Borac at the other side keeps the twelfth position with six games lost. They share it with Cedevita Ol.. Crvena zvezda will play against Spartak (#5) in Subotica in the next round. Borac will play at home against Cedevita Ol. (#13) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Serbian undefeated leader Partizan delivered the ninth consecutive victory on Sunday night. This time they crushed 16th ranked Montenegrin Mornar (1-8) 105-78 in Bar. Balsa Koprivica stepped up with a double-double by scoring 26 points and 12 rebounds (on 11-of-13 shooting from the field) for the winners. The best for the losing side was Lovro Buljevic with 17 points. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. The victory was the ninth consecutive win for Partizan. They maintain first place with 9-0 record. Loser Mornar stay at the bottom position with eight games lost. Partizan will meet at home Split (#8) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Mornar will play against Krka (#14) in Novo Mesto and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

Other games of round 9 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Zadar defeated FMP BG in a road game 83-67. Dubai beat Krka at home 91-76. Derby lost to Split on the opponent’s court 85-88. Igokea managed to outperform Cibona in a home game 95-84. Mega BG recorded a loss to Cedevita Ol. on the road 93-82.
The best stats of 9th round was 25 points and 5 rebounds by Devin Robinson of Cedevita Ol..

FMP BG – Zadar 67-83

There was a minor upset in Beograd where higher ranked Serbian FMP BG (4-5) was defeated by twelfth ranked Croatian Zadar (4-5) 83-67 on Sunday. Zadar made 21-of-26 free shots (80.8 percent) during the game. Montenegrin point guard Vladimir Mihailovic (193-1990) stepped up and scored 34 points (!!!) (went 8 for 8 at the free throw line) for the winners and power forward Karlo Zganec (206-1995, agency: PEPI SPORT) chipped in 10 points and 6 assists. The best for the losing side was swingman Stefan Lazarevic (198-1996) with 15 points and 8 rebounds and forward Danilo Tasic (207-1993) scored 16 points and 5 rebounds. FMP BG’s coach rotated ten players seeing no chance for a win. The victory was the third consecutive win for Zadar. Defending Croatian champion moved-up to seventh place, which they share with 4 other teams including defeated FMP BG. Zadar will meet at home Mega BG (#9) in the next round. FMP BG will play against the league’s second-placed Dubai where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.
Top scorers:
Zadar: V.Mihailovic 34+1reb, T.Wahl 11+8reb+1ast, K.Zganec 10+4reb+6ast, D.Proleta 8+3reb+1ast, L.Mazalin 6+2reb+1ast, M.Ramljak 6+4reb+5ast
FMP BG: D.Tasic 16+5reb+3ast, S.Lazarevic 15+8reb+2ast, J.Novak 11+4reb+2ast, M.Rebec 9+4reb+2ast, P.Popovic 6+1reb+4ast, R.Simovic 3+1reb+1ast

gschID: 1179903

Dubai – Krka 91-76

No shocking result in a game when third ranked UAE Dubai (7-2) defeated at home 14th ranked Slovenian Krka (2-7) 91-76 on Sunday. Dubai made 23-of-25 free shots (92.0 percent) during the game. Serbian guard Danilo Andjusic (195-1991) stepped up and scored 18 points (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line) for the winners and American point guard Nate Mason (188-1995, college: Minnesota) chipped in 10 points and 7 assists. Five Dubai players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was Spanish Marc Garcia (197-1996, agency: Slash Sports) with 15 points (went 10 for 10 at the free throw line !!!) and American guard Tayler Persons (191-1995, college: Ball St., agency: Players Group) scored 10 points and 7 assists. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Dubai moved-up to second place, which they share with Crvena zvezda and Buducnost. Krka lost their fourth game in a row. They keep the fourteenth position with seven games lost. They share it with Cibona. Dubai will meet FMP BG (#11) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Krka will play against Mornar and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Dubai: D.Andjusic 18+3reb+1ast, K.Prepelic 14+2reb+1ast, I.Taylor 12+1reb+3ast, J.Williams 11+1reb+1ast, A.Abass 11+4reb+2ast, N.Mason 10+3reb+7ast
Krka: M.Garcia 15+4reb+1ast, T.Mirtic 12+6reb+1ast, J.Cebasek 10, T.Persons 10+3reb+7ast, Z.Smrekar 7+6reb, J.Klobucar 6+3reb

gschID: 1179904

Mornar – Partizan 78-105

Serbian undefeated leader Partizan delivered the ninth consecutive victory on Sunday night. This time they crushed 16th ranked Montenegrin Mornar (1-8) 105-78 in Bar. Partizan shot 63.3 percent from the field and made 18-of-20 free shots (90.0 percent) during the game. Partizan outrebounded Mornar 34-21 including a 26-12 advantage in defensive rebounds. Partizan looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. Center Balsa Koprivica (216-2000, college: FSU) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 26 points and 12 rebounds (on 11-of-13 shooting from the field) for the winners and Canadian forward Isiaha Mike (201-1997, college: SMU) chipped in 12 points and 7 rebounds. The best for the losing side was Croatian power forward Lovro Buljevic (210-1998) with 17 points and American guard Chico Carter Jr (190-2000, college: DePaul) scored 13 points and 5 assists. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. The victory was the ninth consecutive win for Partizan. They maintain first place with 9-0 record. Loser Mornar stay at the bottom position with eight games lost. Partizan will meet at home Split (#8) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Mornar will play against Krka (#14) in Novo Mesto and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Partizan: B.Koprivica 26+12reb+2ast, D.Washington Jr. 16+1reb+1ast, I.Mike 12+7reb+1ast, S.Brown 12+1reb+5ast, G.Lundberg 9+3reb, F.Ntilikina 9+3reb+2ast
Mornar: L.Buljevic 17+4reb+1ast, C.Carter Jr. 13+1reb+5ast, N.Thomasson 10+2reb+3ast, B.Jenkins 10+1reb+2ast, L.Runjic 10+2reb+3ast, I.Djokovic 8+3reb+3ast

gschID: 1179905

Split – Derby 88-85

There was a minor upset when 7th ranked Montenegrin Derby (4-5) was edged on the road by tenth ranked Croatian Split (4-5) 88-85 on Friday. Split looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. American Shannon Shorter (193-1989, college: N.Texas) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 24 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners and forward David Skara (203-1995, college: Clemson) chipped in 14 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. The best for the losing side was American point guard Erick Neal (178-1995, college: UT Arlington) with 23 points and 4 assists and David Mirkovic (206-2006) produced a double-double by scoring 11 points and 13 rebounds. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. Split moved-up to seventh place, which they share with 4 other teams including defeated Derby. Split will meet league’s leader Partizan in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Derby will play against Igokea (#6) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Split: S.Shorter 24+12reb+5ast, D.Skara 14+9reb+4ast, B.Tisma 12+6reb, A.Jordano 11+1reb+1ast, K.Ljubicic 10+3reb+3ast, T.Vuko 6+1reb+1ast
Derby: E.Neal 23+4reb+4ast, I.Drobnjak 19+1reb+3ast, D.Mirkovic 11+13reb+2ast, L.Bogavac 11+5reb+4ast, Z.Nikolic 8+5reb+4ast, I.Bogdanovic 5+2reb+2ast

gschID: 1179906

Igokea – Cibona 95-84

Very predictable result in Aleksandrovac where sixth ranked Bosnian Igokea (5-4) beat 15th ranked Croatian Cibona (2-7) 95-84 on Friday. Igokea made 16-of-21 free shots (76.2 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 29 assists. Serbian Borisa Simanic (210-1998) stepped up and scored 22 points and 6 rebounds for the winners and American center Terrell Carter II (208-1996, college: Fresno St.) chipped in 19 points and 4 assists. Four Igokea players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was Swiss-Croatian forward Toni Rocak (206-1999, college: USF) with 20 points and 6 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) and South Sudanese guard Peter Jok (198-1994, college: Iowa) scored 13 points and 5 rebounds. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Defending Bosnian champion maintains sixth place with 5-4 record. Loser Cibona dropped to the fourteenth position with seven games lost. They share it with Krka. Igokea will meet Derby (#7) in the next round. Cibona will play against Buducnost (#4) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Igokea: B.Simanic 22+6reb+2ast, T.Carter II 19+3reb+4ast, N.Maric 14+7reb+1ast, S.Anim 13+1ast, M.Jeremic 10+1reb, V.Pusica 7+6reb+12ast
Cibona: T.Rocak 20+6reb+2ast, F.Bundovic 16+3reb, P.Jok 13+5reb+1ast, I.Perasovic 9+2reb+2ast, L.Skoric 7+2reb+2ast, K.Radovcic 6+2reb+2ast

gschID: 1179907

Buducnost – Spartak 75-78

gschID: 1179908

Crvena zvezda – Borac CA 105-85

One of the most interesting games of round 9 was a derby match between two teams from Serbia. The game took place in Beograd where fourth ranked Crvena zvezda outleveled visiting Borac CA (3-6) 105-85. Crvena zvezda players were unselfish on offense dishing 30 assists comparing to just 14 passes made by Borac‘s players. It was a good game for Lithuanian Rokas Giedraitis (200-1992) who led his team to a victory with 15 points and 6 rebounds. Ognjen Dobric (200-1994) contributed with 16 points and 4 assists (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field) for the winners. Crvena zvezda’s coach used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Center Marko Pavicevic (209-2002) answered with 23 points (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field) and American point guard Diante Baldwin (182-1994, college: UNCG) added 13 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists in the effort for Borac. Four Crvena zvezda and five Borac players scored in double figures. Crvena zvezda (7-2) have an impressive series of six victories in a row. Defending Serbian champion (7-2) moved-up to second place, which they share with Buducnost and Dubai. Borac at the other side keeps the twelfth position with six games lost. They share it with Cedevita Ol.. Crvena zvezda will play against Spartak (#5) in Subotica in the next round. Borac will play at home against Cedevita Ol. (#13) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Crvena zvezda: O.Dobric 16+4ast, R.Giedraitis 15+6reb, I.Canaan 12+2reb+1ast, M.Daum 11+4reb+1ast, U.Plavsic 10+1reb+1ast, C.Miller-McIntyre 10+1reb+5ast
Borac CA: M.Pavicevic 23+4reb+2ast, M.Smith 15+2reb+1ast, D.Baldwin 13+5reb+7ast, M.Josilo 10+2reb+2ast, D.Gagic 10+3reb+1ast, N.Manojlovic 6+4reb+1ast

gschID: 1179909

Cedevita Ol. – Mega BG 93-82

There was an upset in Ljubljana where higher ranked Serbian Mega BG (4-5) was defeated by thirteenth ranked Slovenian Cedevita Ol. (3-6) 93-82 on Saturday. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Cedevita Ol. made 8 blocks. Swingman Jaka Blazic (196-1990) stepped up and scored 21 points and 8 rebounds for the winners and American forward Devin Robinson (203-1995, college: Florida) chipped in 25 points and 5 rebounds. Cedevita Ol.’s coach used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. The best for the losing side was Bosnian guard Kosta Kondic (193-2001) with 19 points and 4 assists and guard Mihailo Petrovic (190-2003) produced a double-double by scoring 10 points and 11 assists. Four Mega BG players scored in double figures. Defending Slovenian champion moved-up to twelfth place, which they share with Borac. Mega BG lost their fifth game in a row. They keep the seventh position with five games lost. They share it with 4 other teams. Cedevita Ol. will meet Borac (#12) in the next round. Mega BG will play against Zadar (#10) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Cedevita Ol.: D.Robinson 25+5reb, D.Stewart Jr. 23+3reb+2ast, J.Blazic 21+8reb+2ast, A.Nikolic 8+4ast, J.Beringer 6+7reb+1ast, D.Jones 6+4reb+6ast
Mega BG: K.Kondic 19+3reb+4ast, F.Jovic 18+4reb, A.Jelavic 16+6reb+1ast, M.Petrovic 10+2reb+11ast, T.Malovec 9+6reb+1ast, B.Markovic 7+7reb+1ast