BARAĆ: “EVERYTHING WE DID TONIGHT DEFIES LOGIC”

The basketball team Mega MIS secured a spot in the semifinals of the ABA League after defeating Cedevita Olimpija in Ljubljana in the second match of the quarterfinal series with a score of 71:85 (22:22, 19:23, 19:21, 11:19). They confirmed their convincing victory from the Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall at the start of the quarterfinals and reached the semifinals with a 2-0 lead, where they will face either Crvena Zvezda or SC Derby. Marko Barać’s team once again saved their best for last. After three fairly balanced quarters, they stepped up their game in the last one, quickly establishing a double-digit lead and taking control. They led by 17 points with just under three minutes left, making everything clear in the Stožice Arena. Mega MIS preserved their lead and went undefeated into the semifinals.

Coach of Mega MIS, Marko Barać, shared his impressions at the post-game press conference:

“I would like to congratulate my players on the incredible job they did tonight and throughout the series. The first game was very good for us, but we expected a reaction from the home team, which was composed of many quality and experienced players. We expected their player pride to kick in and for them to be highly motivated. It wasn’t an easy game despite the huge rebound deficit. My team’s energy, unity, and desire were at the highest level, and the guys managed to limit the home team to low shooting percentages and many turnovers. they managed to make defensive deflections and steals in crucial moments to bring the game to a close. Everything we did tonight defies logic. This is a guard-oriented game, and we were so depleted tonight that we played with some lineups that were quite atypical. It’s very difficult to win when you lose the battle on the boards, but this team has shown that even in tough situations, we win out of habit,” said Barać.

Mega MIS will compete for a spot in the ABA League finals in early May against the winner of the series between Crvena Zvezda and SC Derby, with the Belgrade team leading 1-0 in the series.

Photo: Cedevita Olimpija/Ales Fevzer