BARAĆ: “A HUGE NUMBER OF TURNOVERS, WE DIDN’T CREATE DEPTH IN OUR OFFENSE – THERE’S REGRET THAT WE DIDN’T PROVIDE BETTER RESISTANCE”

The Mega Superbet basketball team was unable to deliver another surprise, as they lost 72:81 (18:33, 18:16, 13:17, 23:15) to Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet in the 23rd round of the ABA League, following their victory over Budućnost Voli last week. Marko Barać’s team found themselves trailing by double digits after the first quarter. They tightened their defense in the second half, but were unable to significantly reduce the deficit by halftime. The third quarter went to the home team, who pulled away again, and although Mega Superbet fought until the end, they were unable to make a major comeback. After 23 rounds, their record stands at 11-12, while the defending champions improved their record to 18-5.

Mega Superbet’s coach, Marko Barać, shared his thoughts at the post-game press conference:

– I congratulate Crvena Zvezda on a well-deserved win. They controlled the game from the beginning, and at moments when we were relatively close, they managed to show their experience and quality, and they repelled those attacks, usually with three-pointers. We started the game in a way that you cannot against Euroleague teams, settling for some made shots and entering into a trade of baskets, which is fatal against quality teams. It ended up that we allowed a huge number of points in the first quarter. While we were controlling the way we should play defense, Zvezda already had a noticeable lead. The most important detail was certainly the huge number of turnovers, which were not the result of fast play or overly aggressive play from the host, but simply a lack of concentration. With 17 assists, 21 turnovers is an enormous number. Another thing is that we couldn’t create depth in our offense. We barely reached half of our average points in the paint, we couldn’t gain an advantage in the inside game, and similarly, we struggled with penetration and attacking the paint. We knew it would be difficult, given our rotation and the opponent’s motivation. We could have given better resistance, even in this lineup, and there is regret. I wish Zvezda good luck in the continuation of the season,

said Barać.

In the upcoming 24th round of the ABA League, Mega Superbet will host Cedevita Olimpija. The game at the Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall is scheduled for Sunday, March 23, at 12:00.

Photo: ABA League/Dragana Stjepanović