It wasn't easy, nor was it pretty to look at, but it doesn't matter anymore - the basketball players of Budućnost Voli recorded a victory that brought them first place ahead of the AdmiralBet ABA League playoffs.
"Blues" were troubled by FMP (78:69) at the "M:tel Marača Hall", who fought back for more than 35 minutes before Andrej Žakelj's team charged more quality than their rivals and reached their 26th triumph of the season.
He confirmed his leading position ahead of the playoffs, so the last round - in which Buducnost plays away to Dubai - has no significant result for the Montenegrin champion.
FMP took a 14:0 run in just three and a half minutes of the second quarter to take a 44:36 lead, and Buducnost came into the break down to minus two - 44:42.
It felt like Buducnost was under pressure, the importance of the match was enormous, so the "Panthers" threatened with a relaxed game and had the advantage for a long time in the second half, but in the last quarter, Žakelj got from his team what he demanded both in the announcement of the match and during it - energy on both ends of the floor.
There were so many easy points for Buducnost, and it was clear that there were no surprises in the Podgorica arena when Kenan Kamenjaš attractively dunked on a pass from Rašid Sulajmon and brought the lead to 74:67 with three and a half minutes left in the match.
Kamenjaš had a double-double performance with 21 points and 16 rebounds (eight on offense), Fletcher Magee scored 13, Juwan Morgan 11, and McKinley Wright 10...
Former Budućnost basketball player Petar Popović had 10 points for FMP.
In the quarterfinals, Buducnost will play against the eighth-placed team in the standings, and in the eventual semifinals, a big derby against Crvena Zvezda, which is definitely fourth, is on the cards.
THE FUTURE LOVES - FMP 78:69 (29:23, 13:21, 18:13, 18:12)
Podgorica - "M:tel Hall Morača". Spectators: 1.000. Judges: Mustapić, Vovk (Croatia), Nikšić (BiH).
Buducnost Voli: Morgan 11, Sulajmon 5, Ilic, Megi 13, Slavkovic, Tanaskovic 6, Ferel 3, Jovanovic 3, Drežnjak 2, Omic 4, Wright 10, Kamenjas 21.
FMP: Grojić, Scott 13, Popović 10, Šaranović, Simović, Vučković, Tomašević, Gasić 2, Radosavljević 12, Stojanović 5, Stevens 9, Barna 18.
Bonus video:
