AFTER NINE CONSECUTIVE WINS IN THE ABA LEAGUE, MEGA MIS SUFFERS DEFEAT AT THE START OF THE SEMIFINAL SERIES AGAINST CRVENA ZVEZDA

Mega MIS basketball players entered the playoff semifinal series of the ABA League with nine consecutive victories in the regional competition, but they failed to continue the streak, as they were defeated by Crvena Zvezda with a score of 103:73 (27:20, 25:13, 26:22, 25:18) at the Aleksandar Nikolić Hall. Marko Barać’s team matched well against the much more experienced squad in the first quarter, but the hosts managed to pull away by halftime. Crvena Zvezda maintained a double-digit lead in the third quarter, and despite the absence of their injured captain, Uroš Plavšić, Mega MIS attempted to stage a comeback but failed to threaten the home team, who took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.

Before the start of the match, Mega MIS basketball players stepped onto the court of the Aleksandar Nikolić Hall wearing shirts dedicated to the victims of the tragedy that occurred at Vladislav Ribnikar Elementary School a year ago.

Nikola Đurišić put up an excellent fight against the favored opponent, finishing the match with 26 points, five assists, four rebounds, and three steals for a PIR of 31. Andrija Jelavić added 11 points and five rebounds, while Filip Jović contributed 10 points along with five rebounds. Stefan Miljenović scored nine points before getting injured in the second half.

For Crvena Zvezda, Rokas Giedraitis and Nemanja Nedović were the top scorers with 13 points each, Trey Thompkins added 11 points, and Miloš Teodosić and Yago dos Santos scored 10 points each.

The hosts took a 13-6 lead midway through the opening quarter, prompting Barać to call a timeout, but there was no immediate effect. However, towards the end of the quarter, Mega MIS players performed much better, reducing the deficit to 27-20 after 10 minutes. Mega MIS then closed the gap to five points and held their own in the first half of the second quarter, but their opponents pulled away again to a double-digit lead, leading to a halftime score of 52-33.

Mega MIS couldn’t match their opponent’s performance after the break; the EuroLeague squad of the red and whites increased their lead. However, in the final moments of the third quarter, Barać’s team, led by Đurišić, managed to narrow the gap, but it was short-lived. Crvena Zvezda extended their lead, and in the decisive 10 minutes, they built an insurmountable surplus, taking the lead in the ABA League semifinal series.

The second game of the ABA League playoff semifinals is scheduled for Tuesday, May 7, at 8:00 PM, with Mega MIS hosting Crvena Zvezda at the Ranko Žeravica Sports Hall. In case of a victory for Marko Barać’s team, the deciding game will be played on Friday, May 10, with Crvena Zvezda hosting at the Aleksandar Nikolić Hall.

Mega MIS: Milijašević 3, Miljenović 9, Jelavić 11 (5 reb), Marković 2, Kobzystyi 3, Popović, Ilyasoglu 2, Đurišić 26 (5 reb, in 31), Kovačević 7, Jović 10 (5 reb), Mušicki, Malovec

Crvena Zvezda: Teodosić 10, Thompkins 11, Davidovac 2, Mitrović 8, Lazić 9, Bolomboy 9, Ilić 5, Nedović 13, Giedraitis 13, Gilespie 5, Topić 8, Dos Santos 10

Photo: Mega MIS/Ivica Veselinov