NIKOOOOLIIIIIC…FOR THE WIN!

Mega Leks with fantastic three from Nikolic two seconds before the end won against MZT Skopje Airport with 76:77 and thus made an extremely important step towards the playoffs. For this match, Mega played without injured Nikola Jankovic and without Aranitovic who is with the junior team in the qualifying tournament for junior Euroleague in Rome. For Mega a fantastic debut had Boris Savovic which in 23 minutes scored 24 points and a whopping 10 out of 10 for two points.

After 17 rounds, Mega holds fourth place with 11 wins and 6 losses while the MZT has a score of 7-10.

Coach of Mega Dejan Milojevic started match with Jaramaz, Luwawu-Cabarrot, Simeunovic, Nikolic and Kaba. At the beginning of the match was seen equalized the game and all of the starting five Mege have entered the score sheet after only four minutes of the match. Boris Savovic have debuted for Mega and in a very short interval score 9 points for plus 5 for Mega, 15:20. At the end of the first quarter result was 18:20.

Mega started great the second quarter with a series of 0:6 offensive rebounds after which Kaba and Ivanovic scored points. French center dunk after a rebound brought plus 8 for Megu 20:28. MZT corresponds with mini series 5:0, but immediately thereafter followed a new dunk of Kaba. There followed a brief period of slightly weaker game that was interrupted with Simeunovic points from the free throw line and a new effective dunk from Kaba after steal. Excellent defense of Mega has yielded results and in 17th minute came the first double-digit lead, 30:41 along with continued great game of Savovic. By the end of the half was followed by a large drop in the game as the MZT used for a 9:0 series and the result 39:41. The best players in Mega were Savovic with 18 and Kaba with 10 points.

MZT in the third quarter moved into the lead but the players of Mega did not let  them to raise differenc and with points of Savovic and Simeunovic after offensive rebounds, got the lead, 54:56 in the 29th minute and the score at the end of the third quarter set Nikolic with first three in this game for Mega for 56:59.

Excellent defense at the beginning of the last period has brought benefits and the Jaramaz points from layup and free throws brought plus 6, 61:67. Savović quickly gained 5th personal and left the game that used MZT to take the lead 68-67 but Nikolic returns with another three. In the last two minutes are entered with 73:70 for the home team. After several offensive rebounds without points, Mega reduced to 73:72 on 29 seconds before the end. Uros Lukovic missed both throws for the MZT but they got offensive rebound that get Drenovac to free throw line, where he scored one of two. Nikolic was fouled for another tie after free throws. Drenovac brought back plus two from the same line. In the last attack the ball came to Nikolic in the corner of two seconds before where he scored winning three for the great celebration of players of Mega.

YouTube / ABA liga j.t.d. – via Iframely

In the next round on January 2nd at 5 pm in Sremska Mitrovica, Mega Leks welcomes  Zadar.

Mega Leks: Simic, Djokovic, Jaramaz 9 (7 rebounds), Veljkovic, Ivanovic 8, Savović 24 (5 rebounds), Pavlovic, Luwwu-Cabarrot 3, Kaba 10 (7 rebounds and 3 blocks), Simeunovic 8 (7 rebounds) Nikolic 15 (6 rebounds).

MZT Skopje Aerodrom: Protic 2, Ljubicic, Mekic, Markovski, Vasiljevic Mladenovski 1, Drenovac 14, Bunic 2, D. Stojanovski 8,  Mijatovic 16, M. Lukovic, 14, U. Lukovic 17.