The advantage of the home court in the round of XNUMX of the Eurocup still seems very far away, because in the remaining three rounds, at least two teams ahead of them should be skipped, but Buducnost Volija basketball players at least stayed in the game.
And with style - in the 15th round of the second-highest European competition, the "Blues" convincingly defeated Hapoel from Tel Aviv (89:79), reaching a score of 9:6, the same as the fifth-placed Promiteas.
They are also ahead of Paris (9:5), Hapoel (10:5), Turk Telekom (11:4) and Gran Canaria (11:3), with the fact that only the Israelis have a better score among themselves...
More important than the fact that they still have a chance to play in "Morača" at least at the start of the knockout phase is that it is increasingly apparent that Budućnost "stabbed" with reinforcements in December.
Eric Green once again proved what a shooter he is, but also that he can take responsibility when it's most important, because it was he who brought the team out of a short-term sleep at the end of the 1st quarter, and JJ O'Brien showed for the umpteenth time how much he intelligent player.
Maybe the last acquisition, Emanuel Lecomte, will work until the key matches of the season, because he only moments reminds of the player who shone in the Belgium jersey at the Eurobasket.
After an equal start, the home team increased the tempo and took the lead 6:17 in the 10th minute with a basket and an additional shot by Alfa Kaba, who was not very good tonight.
Hapoel threatened, reducing the score to 19:18, but then Green and Marko Jagodić-Kuriža worked, giving nine and six points respectively in the 17:0 series for 36:18.
In those moments, Aleksa Ilić and Edin Atić had good roles, so the winner was already in sight, and Cameron Reynolds and O'Brien kept the difference at plus 18 until halftime.
In the 3rd quarter, the Israelis got closer to 52:41, but they were never able to reach a single-digit difference...
What's more, Budućnost reached plus 32 in the 20nd minute with a basket and an additional throw by Reynolds, who woke up from his winter sleep.
Green was the most efficient with 21 points, Reynolds scored 16, and Petar Popović (12) and O'Brien (11) also scored in double figures.
THE FUTURE LOVES - HAPOEL TEL AVIV 89:79 (21:18, 31:16, 14:17, 23:28)
Podgorica - Hall "Morača". Spectators: 750. Judges: Garcia (Spain), Kowalski (Poland), Bitner (Great Britain).
Future Likes: REYNOLDS 16 (1-1), BELL-HAYNS 2 (2-0), Atić 2, KABA 7 (1-1), Lekomt 6 (2-2), Lazić. O'BRAJEN 11, Ilić 4 (2-2), Jagodić-Kuriža 8, POPOVIĆ 12 (1-1), Grin 21 (12-9), Kamenjaš.
Hapoel Tel Aviv: TOKOTO 6, Harel, MANFORD 10, Beni, Timor 9 (4-4), Ariel 3, Hourd 6, ONUAKU 14 (1-0), GINAT 14 (2-2), Mekre 11 (8-6 ), BROWN 6.
Bonus video:
