EuroLeague challenge awaits Dragons in Belgrade
Cedevita Olimpija will visit Crvena zvezda Meridianbet at Aleksandar Nikolić Hall in Belgrade on Sunday at 18:30. In Round 8 of the first stage of the AdmiralBet ABA League, the Dragons will look to extend their four-game winning streak across all competitions and round off their three-game road trip with another victory. The game will … Continued
Cedevita Olimpija will visit Crvena zvezda Meridianbet at Aleksandar Nikolić Hall in Belgrade on Sunday at 18:30. In Round 8 of the first stage of the AdmiralBet ABA League, the Dragons will look to extend their four-game winning streak across all competitions and round off their three-game road trip with another victory. The game will be broadcast live on Arena Sport Slovenija 1 from 18:30.
The Ljubljana side travel to the Serbian capital following successful trips to Čačak and Rostock. Head coach Zvezdan Mitrović’s team defeated Borac Mozzart 85–71 in regional competition last Saturday before beating Rostock Seawolves 88–71 in the BKT EuroCup on Tuesday. After a difficult start to their European campaign, the Dragons have put together four consecutive wins across the two international competitions. Another demanding test of their progress now awaits in Belgrade.
Crvena zvezda Meridianbet lead Group A of the AdmiralBet ABA League with five wins and one defeat, while Cedevita Olimpija sit third with a 4–2 record. The Belgrade side have won their last five regional league games and head into Sunday’s matchup following Thursday’s EuroLeague defeat at Real Madrid.
After returning from Rostock, Noah Kirkwood, who was forced to leave the game in Germany early, underwent an MRI scan. It revealed a groin injury that will keep him sidelined for at least eight weeks. Youngster Cameron Houindo spent more than a month out of action after taking a blow to the head in the home game against Hapoel. He rejoined the team in practice on Thursday and Friday. Brandon Murray remains sidelined with a shoulder injury.
TV COVERAGE:
The game will be broadcast live on Arena Sport 1 from 18:30.
PREGAME QUOTES:
“We are facing a team that ranks among the very best in the EuroLeague. They have tremendous quality and a very deep roster, with no fewer than 18 players available across the two competitions. Their quality speaks for itself. On this trip, we will focus on ourselves and our own game. We want to put in a good performance, and we will probably also give opportunities to some players who have had fewer minutes recently. We will try to ease the workload on certain players and spread the minutes around. I also hope that Cameron Houindo can rejoin us and get some minutes on the court. Against such a strong opponent, with excellent depth at every position, it is difficult to talk about specific tactical plans. Our main task will be to focus on our own game, maintain the rhythm we have found over the last four games and deliver a good performance,” said Cedevita Olimpija head coach Zvezdan Mitrović ahead of the matchup with Crvena zvezda.
“We face a EuroLeague team in Belgrade on Sunday. We know we are up against an exceptionally strong opponent, but we go into the game determined to perform as well as we can and give everything we have. We respect their quality, but we will look to make the most of our opportunities and, if the chance arises, beat Crvena zvezda on their home court. This will be our third consecutive road game, followed by a very important EuroCup matchup against Burgos at home,” said Rok Radović, who made a successful return to action against Rostock after missing two games with back pain.
GAME PREVIEW:
Cedevita Olimpija opened their regional campaign with a win over Cibona at Tivoli before alternating defeats and victories. A narrow loss at Široki TT Kabeli was followed by a win at Igokea m, and after a home defeat to Budućnost VOLI, the Ljubljana side beat FMP and Borac Mozzart. They will therefore be chasing a third consecutive regional league victory in Belgrade.
In their most recent regional outing in Čačak, the Dragons took a significant step towards victory in the second quarter, winning it 30–18 to lead 48–39 at halftime. The hosts cut the gap to six points heading into the final ten minutes, but the Ljubljana side regained control down the stretch. David Škara contributed 16 points and four rebounds, making all six of his field-goal attempts — three two-pointers and three three-pointers. Anthony Cowan Jr. and Matthew Hurt also scored 16 points apiece.
The Dragons built on that performance in Rostock on Tuesday, recording their first European road win of the season. They led 50–41 at halftime and 70–60 heading into the fourth quarter, before holding their opponents to just 11 points over the final ten minutes. Urban Kroflič led the Dragons with 18 points, followed by Rihards Lomažs with 16, Matthew Hurt with 12, Rok Radović with 11 and Jordan Gainey with ten. Cedevita Olimpija now have two wins and five defeats from seven European games.
Hurt is the Ljubljana side’s leading scorer in the AdmiralBet ABA League, averaging 16.5 points per game. Anthony Cowan Jr. contributes 12.8 points and leads the team in assists with 4.7 per game, while Lomažs averages 10.4 points. Jayce Johnson and Škara lead the way on the boards, averaging 5.8 and 5.2 rebounds respectively.
Crvena zvezda Meridianbet are coached by Spain’s Ibon Navarro. Following an opening regional league defeat to FMP, his team beat Budućnost VOLI, Krka, Igokea m, Široki TT Kabeli and Slovan Bratislava. The Belgrade side average 93.2 points and 24 assists per game in the AdmiralBet ABA League.
On Monday, the red-and-whites defeated Slovan Bratislava 91–80 at home. They led by five points at halftime before establishing a decisive advantage in the third quarter. Jared Butler scored 12 consecutive points for his team during that period and finished with 18 points and five assists. Crvena zvezda recorded 29 assists and converted an impressive 24 of their 28 two-point attempts.
Butler is also Crvena zvezda’s leading scorer in regional competition, averaging 16.8 points per game. Jordan Nwora follows with 13.3 and Tyson Carter with 11.5. Nick Weiler-Babb and Chris Jones lead the team’s playmaking efforts, averaging 6.5 and 5.7 assists respectively. Chima Moneke averages 7.5 rebounds, although he has featured in only two regional league games so far.
In their final outing before Sunday’s matchup, the Belgrade side lost 84–105 in Madrid on Thursday in Round 11 of the EuroLeague. Real won the opening quarter 38–20. Crvena zvezda cut the deficit to seven in the second quarter, but the hosts stretched their lead again before halftime (56–41) and remained in control after the break. Carter scored 18 points and Nwora added 12. Crvena zvezda have seven wins and four defeats from 11 EuroLeague games, with all seven victories coming between Rounds 3 and 10.
ADMIRALBET ABA LEAGUE – GROUP A, FIRST STAGE, ROUND 8
Aleksandar Nikolić Hall (Belgrade, Serbia), Sunday, 15 November, at 18:30:
CRVENA ZVEZDA MERIDIANBET – CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA (Live on Arena Sport 1)
GROUP A STANDINGS:
| # | Team | Played | Wins | Losses | PF | +/- | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crvena zvezda Meridianbet | 6 | 5 | 1 | 559:501 | 58 | 11 |
| 2 | Budućnost VOLI | 6 | 5 | 1 | 526:469 | 57 | 11 |
| 3 | Cedevita Olimpija | 6 | 4 | 2 | 513:480 | 33 | 10 |
| 4 | Slovan Bratislava | 6 | 3 | 3 | 493:507 | -14 | 9 |
| 5 | HKK Široki TT Kabeli | 6 | 3 | 3 | 501:516 | -15 | 9 |
| 6 | Borac Mozzart | 6 | 3 | 3 | 508:541 | -33 | 9 |
| 7 | Igokea m | 6 | 2 | 4 | 497:499 | -2 | 8 |
| 8 | Cibona | 6 | 2 | 4 | 522:540 | -18 | 8 |
| 9 | FMP | 6 | 2 | 4 | 482:502 | -20 | 8 |
| 10 | Krka | 6 | 1 | 5 | 439:485 | -46 | 7 |
LOOKING AHEAD:
Following their trip to Belgrade, the Dragons will return to play in front of their home fans. On Wednesday at 18:30, they will host Recoletas Salud San Pablo Burgos at Stožice in Round 8 of the BKT EuroCup regular season, looking to extend their European winning streak. Before the international break, they will then face Slovan Bratislava at Tivoli Hall on Saturday, 21 November, in Round 9 of the first stage of the AdmiralBet ABA League.
