The match will be a masterclass: Cluj defeated Buducnost and returned the series to Podgorica

From the special reporter "Vijesti"

On March 11, the basketball players of Buducnost Voli were defeated by Cluj (100:82) in the round of 16 of the Eurocup at the "Mtel Dvorani Morača". The Romanian team then disrupted the plans of Buducnost, which had great ambitions in the European competition, and tonight it made the regional plans of the "blues" even more difficult, because in the second match of the quarterfinals of the AdmiralBet ABA League, at the "BT Arena", in front of about six thousand spectators, they celebrated 94:90 and tied the series (1:1), which is played to two wins.

The championship is scheduled for next week in Podgorica, and like in March, this will be the game of the season, as the last time Buducnost was outside the semifinals of the ABA League was in the 2013/2014 season.

After Buducnost's initial lead (3:0), Cluj responded with seven consecutive points (7:3), and after Trey Woodbury's second three-pointer, the home team had an eight-point lead - 13:5. Then, Jeffery Taylor was called for an unsportsmanlike foul for hitting Nikola Tanaskovic, the Romanian team's coach Mihai Silvasan received a technical foul, and the "blues" scored six points from one attack (three from penalties and a three-pointer by Yogi Ferrell) and reduced the lead to 13:11.

The home team had another seven-point advantage by the end of the first quarter (20:13), Buducnost came within a point of the deficit in the final quarter (25:24), and then took the lead through Zoran Nikolić (26:25).

During the second quarter, neither team managed to break away, the lead did not exceed three points, and it was with that much of a lead that the Montenegrin champion went into the big break - 47:44.

The second half started with a Ferrell penalty point (Fats Russell got a technical), and after the American's three-pointer, the "blues" had a five-point advantage - 54:49. Cluj's 8:0 run (57:54) followed, which then maintained the lead, and after another eight-point run at the beginning of the fourth quarter, reached plus eight - 78:70.

After Molinar's points, the home team was again up eight points (80:72), Buducnost came close to 80:77, and after Aksel Butej's three-pointer, the "blues" completed an 8:0 run and took an 85:83 lead.

After a three-pointer by Ferrell, three minutes and 22 seconds before the end, Buducnost took an 88:87 lead. It was the last lead for the Montenegrin champion, who will seek a place in the semifinals next week on home soil.

Morgan was the most efficient with 15 points. Ferrell had 14, Butsiel 12, and Butej 11. The "Blues" also need a good performance from captain Tanaskovic, whose plus/minus in two games in the quarterfinals was minus 17, while Kovlijar was out of the protocol tonight due to injury, although he traveled with the team.

For Cluj, Siser stood out with 15 points, while Miletić and Russell scored 14 each.