MEGA STOPPED AT STEP AWAY FROM OVERTIME, ZVEZDA IS IN THE FINALS
In the second game of the Super League’s semi-final, Mega Bemax in a great match lost to Crvena zvezda mts 91:96 (25:24, 25:25, 22:24, 19:23). Players of coach Dejan Milojevic returned from the minus in the Mega Factory Hall several times, and finally they had free throws for the overtime, but Mokoka was half-precise, so Crvena zvezda celebrated and went to the finals. Coach of Mega on this match could not count on Nikola Miskovic and Ognjen Carapic while Andrija Marjanovic was in roster, but not recovered enough and he did not enter the game.
The most effective in the ranks of Mega Bemax were Adam Mokoka with 22 points and Luka Asceric with 20, while Edin Atic scored 18 points with 7 rebounds and 9 assists. In Crvena zvezda the best was KC Rivers with 29 points.
Mega had special guests at this match, two former players, and today the NBA stars, Nikola Jokic and Boban Marjanovic who presented gifts with the president of the Executive Board of Triglav Osiguranje Dragan Markovic.
Prior to the start of the match, MVP award of Superleague was awarded to Mege Goga Bitadze, who scored 19.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks with an index 25.7 for 21 minutes on average on the field. He received a trophy from former player of Mega Nikola Jokic.
In the hall, the audience in the hall welcomed the vice-champions of Europe, the juniors of Mega Bemax, who won 2nd place in the Junior Euroleague F8 tournament in Vitoria.
Also, the spectators in the hall had the opportunity to fight for TV, Tehnomanija’s gift, and one of them was precise from the half-court, so he won a valuable prize.
Dejan Milojević started the match Asceric, Mokoka, Atic, Fundic and Bitadze. After a somewhat slower start, Mega with points of Fundic and Asceric went into the lead, so that they with Atic’s three got to the 19:14. Zvezda briefly shifts to lead, but Atic secured Mega’s advantage after 10 minutes, 25:24.
After triple Koprivica and of dunk Ilic, Mega led 30:24, but there followed a very bad period in the game where the guests with a series of points came to plus 14, 34:48. The great finish Mega’s players who scored from all positions for the series 14:0 and tie, so that in the last second Mokoka hit a heavy flouter for lead 50:49.
Mokoka opens the second half with 7 points for 57:51. However, the middle of the period belongs to the Zvezda, which in five minutes hits five threes for the lead 63:71. The finish belongs to Mega who by dunk of Mokoka has only a point behind before the last quarter, 72:73.
In the last quarter, Zvezda tried several times to stay away, but Mega returned each time. Asceric had brilliant role with 3 tied threes for a point behind, h, so that in the exciting finish of Mokoka with 4 seconds to the end, had two free throws for the overtime, but missed second, then referees called the unsportsmanlike to Mega and Zvezda went to the finals.
Mega Bemax: Brekic 2, Janjic, Marjanovic, Zaric, Asceric 20, Atic 18 (7 rebounds, 9 assists, PIR 27), Bitadze 5 (6 rebounds), Koprivica 5, Musikic, Mokoka 22, Ilic 5, Fundic 14 (7 rebounds).
Crvena zvezda mts: Radanov, Covic 15, Keselj, Davidovac 14, Nenadic, Lazic 10, Faye 5, Baron 3, Dobric 6, Simanic, Rivers 29, Ojo 14.
Photo: Mega Bemax/Ivica Veselinov