By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet held on down the stretch to secure a win, 95-86, against Buducnost VOLI.
Nemanja Nedovic was back in action after missing the previous two weeks. The experienced shooting guard dropped 16 points behind 4/9 field goals, including a triple to keep his side in a safe distance down the stretch of the AdmiralBet ABA League Regular Season Round 6 fixture.
Mike Tobey scored 23 points. Shabazz Napier ended up with 14 points. Marko Simonovic and Ognjen Kuzmic did not suit up, joining team captain Branko Lazic (ribs) on the sidelines.
On the opposite end, McKinley Wright IV and Marvin Jones shared a team-high 17 points in Belgrade’s Stark Arena.
Both sides are now 5-1, part of a three-way tie on top of the ABA standings.
Alen Smailagic’s exit concerns Partizan
Improving to 5-1 with a confident display on the road, Partizan Mozzart Bet blew out Split, 76-53, in Arena Gripe.
Dealing with pain after a blow to the upper body, Alen Smailagic was transferred to the hospital for further medical evaluation during halftime, confirmed head coach Zeljko Obradovic in the postgame press conference. The 23-year-old forward was diagnosed with a chest contusion.
Retaining both Kevin Punter (leg) and Mateusz Ponitka (shoulder) on the injury list, the reigning champions of the regional league featured Uros Trifunovic at 13 points and Tristan Vukcevic at 12 points. P.J. Dozier with six points, nine rebounds, six assists, two steals, and two blocks recorded a game-high efficiency rating of 18.
For the hosts, D. J. Funderburk had a team-high 12 points.
Earlier, Crvena Zvezda loanee Nikola Topic added to a solid campaign so far with 27 points, ten rebounds, six assists, and two steals leading Mega MIS to the home win, 91-81, against Zadar.
ABA Round 6
SC Derby – Krka 84-70
Cibona – Mornar-Barsko zlato 73-72
Cedevita Olimpija – Borac Mozzart 82-78
Mega MIS – Zadar 91-81
Split – Partizan Mozzart Bet 53-76
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet – Buducnost VOLI 95-86
Igokea m:tel – FMP Soccerbet (6/11)
STANDINGS: Crvena Zvezda 11 (5-1), Partizan 11 (5-1), Buducnost 11 (5-1), Cedevita Olimpija 10 (4-2), SC Derby 10 (4-2)…
Photo Credit: ABA-Liga.com