The basketball players of Budućnost Voli are visiting Cedevita Olimpija in one of the derbies not only of the round, but also of the first part of the season.
The match is scheduled for Saturday, January 17th, starting at 20 p.m.
The position in the ABA League standings, the strength of the roster, as well as the situation in European competitions, suggest that in Ljubljana we will see an equal duel between two teams whose mutual clashes have written the modern history of regional basketball.
"Our boys travel to Slovenia after two consecutive triumphs, in matches in which the results may have concealed all their uncertainty. Against Zadar, the difference was only a few points for a long time, while against Lietkabelis we were even behind at one point. The very fact that in both matches we managed to increase the pace and finish the job as the game drew to a close shows the maturity of the team," the official website of KK Budućnost Voli states in the match announcement.
"Because winning, while at the same time having oscillations in the game, in such a tough and intense season, is certainly a reason for optimism."
However, a better performance in defense is needed, as coach Andrej Žakelj pointed out after the duel with Lietkabelis - it is from a good defense that a better attack comes.
"Against the Lithuanian team, we only conceded 30 points in the second half and that's how we came out on top."
It won't be easy against Cedevita Olimpija, primarily because the "dragons" have more options to punish any oscillation or series of poor defensive possessions. An additional factor is the coach, Montenegro coach Zvezdan Mitrović, who knows Buducnost extremely well.
The Slovenian team recently made some changes to its lineup, adding Matthew Hrt, a former Duke player who arrived in Ljubljana from Trapani, Italy. It's a soft-handed back four that is still in the process of adapting to the system of Zvezdan Mitrović and Cedevita Olimpija.
"We traditionally play well against the Ljubljana team, but that should not be a reason to relax. Cedevita Olimpija was recently surprisingly defeated by Vienna, but after that they convincingly defeated Neptunas away."
Both teams, therefore, enter this duel after victories over their Lithuanian rivals.
"A triumph in Ljubljana would give us a significant advantage in the fight for a better position ahead of the league finals, which is why this match carries special weight."
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