Dragons start Semifinals of the Domestic League in Podčetrtek

Before the senior team of Cedevita Olimpija lies the start of the semifinal series of the national championship against Terme Olimia Podčetrtek. The Dragons will play the first game of the series, which is played to two wins, on Thursday at 6:00 PM in the Podčetrtek Sports Hall.

The senior team of Cedevita Olimpija will enter the semifinal series of the national championship against Terme Olimia Podčetrtek on Thursday in the Podčetrtek Sports Hall. The Ljubljana Dragons face the first game of the best-of-three series, which will begin in Podčetrtek at 6:00 PM. Terme Olimia Podčetrtek enters the semifinals with the momentum of two consecutive victories over last season’s finalists, Kansai Helios Domžale, while Cedevita Olimpija also secured a 2:0 win over GGD Šenčur in the quarterfinals.

The best-of-three series will begin on Thursday in Podčetrtek and continue on Tuesday at 6:00 PM in Stožice, where the second game will take place. A potential third game is scheduled for Friday, May 30, again in Podčetrtek. Entry to the Stožice arena on Tuesday will be free for all visitors!

TV BROADCAST:

The game will be broadcast on Šport TV 1, and a link to the online stream can be found below.

PRE-GAME STATEMENT:

“After the game in Dubai and our return to Ljubljana, the key for the first semifinal game in Podčetrtek will be our team’s physical and mental preparedness. We respect our opponent, who is well-coordinated, motivated, and knows how to seize opportunities, as they proved in the quarterfinals against Kansai Helios Domžale, and we also expect their home fans to be very vocal on Thursday. The players need to stay focused, maintain high intensity in defense, control the game’s tempo, and capitalize on our strengths. There will be little time for recovery after returning from Dubai, and we’ll once again play with a slightly altered rotation, but we’ll give our all to return to Ljubljana with a win,” said Cedevita Olimpija’s head coach, Zvezdan Mitrović, ahead of the semifinal series.

GAME PREVIEW:

Terme Olimia Podčetrtek finished the regular season in fourth place with 15 wins in 27 games. They secured their spot in the semifinals with two convincing performances in the quarterfinals against the favored Kansai Helios Domžale. In the first game in Domžale, the scoreboard showed 84:81 in favor of Podčetrtek, while in the second game, the team led by head coach Davor Brečko celebrated an 88:76 victory in a packed Podčetrtek Sports Hall.

In the first game in Domžale, Podčetrtek’s top scorer was Joshua Chandler Thompson with 18 points, while the most effective player was Žiga Švigelj with 14 points and six rebounds. In the second game in Podčetrtek, the most effective player for the home team was Igor Struger with 24 points and seven rebounds.

Cedevita Olimpija enters the matchup with Podčetrtek just over 24 hours after returning from Dubai, where the Dragons played the third game of the AdmiralBet ABA League quarterfinal series against Dubai Basketball on Tuesday. Unfortunately, their regional campaign ended, as the home team secured the victory in the decisive third game at the Coca Cola Arena. The Ljubljana team earned their spot in the national championship semifinals after defeating GGD Šenčur 2:0 in the quarterfinals.

OTP BANK LEAGUE, SEMIFINALS

GAME 1

Podčetrtek Sports Hall (Podčetrtek, Slovenia), Thursday, May 22, at 6:00 PM:
TERME OLIMIA PODČETRTEK – CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA (Broadcast on Šport TV 1) [0:0]*

GAME 2

Stožice Arena (Ljubljana, Slovenia), Tuesday, May 27:
CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA – TERME OLIMIA PODČETRTEK (Free entry)

GAME 3

Podčetrtek Sports Hall (Podčetrtek, Slovenia), Friday, May 30:
TERME OLIMIA PODČETRTEK – CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA

*Result in wins. The semifinals are played to two wins.
**If necessary, third game.

LOOKING AHEAD:

Cedevita Olimpija will return to their home court on Tuesday at 6:00 PM, when the second semifinal game against Podčetrtek will take place in Stožice. Entry to the arena will be free for all visitors.