Battle for playoffs continue in Venice

Before the Cedevita Olimpija senior team is another important game in the fight for playoff spots in the EuroCup. The Ljubljana Dragons will face Umana Reyer, a direct rival for the knockout phase, in Venice on Wednesday at 20:00.

As the EuroCup regular season enters its second half, the battle for the top 12 spots intensifies. The Cedevita Olimpija squad will meet Umana Reyer at Palasport Taliercio in Venice in the 11th round of the BKT EuroCup regular season. Both teams aim to secure a critical victory to strengthen their playoff chances.

After 10 games, Cedevita Olimpija has a record of 6 wins and 4 losses, while the Venetian team is at 5 wins and 5 losses. Every detail could prove decisive in determining playoff berths. Notably, Cedevita Olimpija won the first encounter this season in Ljubljana on October 1, with a score of 87:82. Historically, since 2019, the teams have met seven times in the EuroCup, with Umana Reyer winning four and Cedevita Olimpija three. However, the Dragons have yet to claim victory in Venice.

PRE-GAME STATEMENTS:

“At the start of the competition, Venezia was considered one of the favorites for the top spots. They faced injury challenges during the season, but those are resolved, and they have strengthened their squad. This home game is crucial for them in their playoff pursuit, as they are very close to those positions. Their team is top-tier and well-composed. For us, there are no easy games right now. We will face an athletic and strong team with well-covered positions. They won their last two away games, proving their improvement. Despite Venezia’s recent domestic league loss, this will be a tough match. We’ll need to counter their athletic play, stop their offensive rebounds, and stay focused. We expect a challenging and intense game,” said Zvezdan Mitrović, head coach of Cedevita Olimpija.

“This will undoubtedly be a tough and tight match. We defeated Venezia in Stožice last time, so they will be motivated. Some of their players have returned from injuries, and they’ve added reinforcements. They will play with intensity and energy, and we must respond. After the international break, we’re in a good rhythm, playing with intensity. Although we started poorly in our last game, we finished strong. Having our coach back at full strength helps a lot. We’re all focused, and our defensive game has improved, which we need to build on,” said DeVante Jones, the team’s point guard.

MATCH PREVIEW:

Cedevita Olimpija faces a red-hot Umana Reyer, coming into the game with three consecutive EuroCup wins. After a slow start to the season, the Venetians turned things around with recent victories over Aris, Turk Telekom (75:67), Lietkabelis (100:93), and Aris again (81:74).

In their last EuroCup game in Thessaloniki, Umana Reyer led for most of the match, holding off a late challenge from Aris to secure a solid win. Tyler Ennis tallied 19 points, six rebounds, and four assists, Mfiondu Kabengele added 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Jordan Parks and Aamir Simms scored 12 points each.

In domestic play, both teams had games on Sunday. Umana Reyer fell to Sassari at home (78:84), marking their sixth loss in the Italian league, while Cedevita Olimpija defeated Spartak Subotica in Tivoli (91:82) after a strong comeback.

BKT EUROCUP, 2024/25 REGULAR SEASON ROUND 11

Palasport Giuseppe Taliercio (Venice, Italy), Wednesday, December 11, at 20.00:
UMANA REYER – CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA

UPCOMING FIXTURES:

This is the first of two consecutive away games for the Ljubljana team, who will travel to Zagreb to face Cibona on Saturday at 19:00. They’ll return to Stožice next Wednesday to host Turk Telekom, with a special Teddy Bear Toss event during halftime. Tickets for both home games are already available at vstopnice.olimpija.com.