Cedevita Olimpija Faces Final Regular Season Game in Hamburg

Cedevita Olimpija’s senior team will play its final game of the BKT EuroCup regular season on Wednesday at 19:30 in Hamburg. The Dragons will be chasing their 11th win of the season and securing third place in Group B against Veolia Towers.

After narrowly losing to Valencia in the EuroCup on their home court last Tuesday, securing a playoff spot on Wednesday following a favorable outcome in the remaining games of Round 17, and defeating Split in Dalmatia on Saturday, head coach Zvezdan Mitrović’s team is entering a new week with another crucial EuroCup challenge ahead.

As part of the 18th and final round of the regular season, Ljubljana’s squad will visit Hamburg on Wednesday at 19:30. A victory would mark their 11th win of the competition’s first phase and secure third place in Group B, granting them home-court advantage in the Round of 16. To recall, Cedevita Olimpija last competed in the knockout stage in 2022, finishing the regular season in third place in Group B with 11 wins and seven losses.

On Wednesday, they will face Hamburg, a team that has long lost its chances of making the playoffs. So far, the German side has recorded five wins in 17 games, with two of those victories coming in the last two rounds.

PRE-GAME STATEMENTS:

Head Coach Zvezdan Mitrović:
“It’s the last game of the regular season, and everyone is talking about how important it is, as a win secures home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. You can sense that the team is somewhat fatigued, especially mentally, as we’ve played a significant number of games in January. We’re heading to Hamburg after Saturday’s crucial victory over Split. We’re in good rhythm, and most likely, Andrija Stipanović will return to the court, as he is feeling much better. His presence on the court is vital for us. We’ll try to deliver a strong performance.”

Joan Beringer:
“This is an important game for us as it’s the last test of the regular season. We need to beat a solid Hamburg team because we know what a victory means. We have to give our best to return to Ljubljana with a win.”

TV BROADCAST:

The game will be broadcast live on Šport TV 1, with the studio coverage starting at 18:45.

GAME PREVIEW:

Cedevita Olimpija is heading into a crucial road game on Tuesday, preparing to face a team that has recently secured four consecutive wins—two in the EuroCup and two in the German league.

In domestic competition, Hamburg defeated Würzburg 68-66 in Round 18 and Göttingen 91-82 in Round 19. In the EuroCup, they overcame Lietkabelis 84-77 in Round 16 and edged out Aris 90-88 in overtime in Round 17.

This presents a tough challenge for Ljubljana’s squad against a team that no longer has a playoff chance but will surely aim to leave a better impression than in their first encounter this season. The last time the two teams met in Hamburg, on January 24 of last year, the scoreboard in Edel-Optics.de Arena read 114:83 in favor of the Slovenian champions.

The teams have faced each other three times in the EuroCup, with Cedevita Olimpija winning the last two encounters, including one in the current 2024/25 season. On November 28, the Dragons hosted Hamburg at Stožice, winning 95:68, with six players scoring in double digits. DeVante Jones led the way with 16 points, while Jordan Barnett scored 23 points for Hamburg.

BKT EUROCUP, ROUND 18

Inselpark Arena (Hamburg, Germany), Wednesday, February 5, at 19:30:
VEOLIA TOWERS – CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA (Live on Šport TV 1)

STANDINGS

LOOKING AHEAD:

The trip to Hamburg marks the last game before February’s competition break due to national team commitments. Upon returning from Germany, Cedevita Olimpija will face Igokea m:tel at Hala Tivoli on Saturday at 17:00. Tickets for the game are available at vstopnice.olimpija.com.

The Dragons will remain in Tivoli, where on Monday at 18:00, they will host Ilirija in the second leg of the Spar Cup quarterfinals, aiming to secure a spot in the final tournament.