Semi-finals with Zoran Nikolić's stamp: We don't want to belittle ourselves, anything is possible in the playoffs

The basketball players of Budućnost Volija will play in the semifinals of the AdmiralBet ABA League for the 11th season in a row. The “Blues” eliminated Cluj in the quarterfinals after three matches and somewhat avenged the Romanian team for their elimination from the Eurocup, so they will fight for the final with Dubai.

And one of the players who marked the quarterfinal series was Zoran Nikolić. The center of Buducnost excelled in the first match and was most deserving of the first triumph in the series, and he did a good job in the masterclass, in which the Montenegrin champion convincingly paved the way to the finals of the competition.

"I'm happy about the victory in front of our fans. We played a good match, maybe the best when it comes to duels against Cluj this season. It's a shame we didn't win in Cluj. We would have had more time to rest, and maybe we would have made it to the final of the Montenegrin championship. We are satisfied with our place in the semi-finals, and we are slowly starting to prepare for Dubai," Nikolić told "Vijesti".

Nikolić played his best games for Buducnost this season in the quarterfinal series against the Romanian team.

"I feel great, my confidence is at a higher level than before. I think I've found a good rhythm, I feel good and I hope I can continue like this and that we can win."

Nikolić was the latest signing for the "blues" this season, and he arrived at the club after an injury in Montenegro's match against Lithuania at the European Championship. At Buducnost, he was not among the first two options at the beginning, and James Thompson had more space than him. But, as the season progressed, it became clear that bringing Thompson in was a complete failure, so the Montenegrin international welcomed the opportunity and made the most of it.

"It took me time to get into a rhythm, there's no secret. Last season I got into a good rhythm, I had good preparations with the national team, and then I got injured at the European Championship. The recovery took longer than it should have. There were a lot of oscillations until I got into a rhythm again. Maybe at that moment it wasn't going the way I had imagined, but I told myself to take it slow, not to get nervous, but to work on getting into a rhythm as soon as possible. That coincided with the Montenegrin Cup and the national team matches in February. That's when I started to get into shape and this was the culmination of everything," explained the center of the "blues".

Nikolić has found his form at the right time. The season finale is coming up, with the first away match against Dubai, on a neutral field, scheduled for May 20th.

"Dubai deservedly won first place in the regular season. It's no coincidence. We know they have a good team, with two or three players in each position. We will try to play our best and try to surprise them. It will be difficult, but we should not underestimate ourselves and leave with a white flag. You never know in the playoffs - it could happen that we play two or three games well and be an outsider who surprises. Anything is possible, we should not give up, but give our maximum and hope for the best," said Nikolić.

Buducnost was defeated by Dubai both times in the regular season, and quite easily. Now new clashes are coming, and defense could be crucial.

"Defensive strength is number one. Dubai is good on offense, they play differently than Cluj, but it's also fast basketball. We will try to neutralize their seeded team, because it's a completely different game when they're not playful and don't have their points. I think we can play with them in both directions. We have to be maximally focused, strive for the same goal, be ready to give everything we need to win," explained Nikolić.

When they played the entire period on neutral ground, it's better for it to end that way.

In the past few days, the main topic has been where Dubai will welcome the “blues.” The club from the Emirates wanted to play the final in its “Coca-Cola Arena,” Buducnost refused, and then the ABA League Presidency decided that Dubai would end the season on a neutral field.

"I think the entire basketball community, when looking at the situation, is of the same opinion. There are few games left - when they played this period on a neutral court, it is better for the season to end like that. We don't know what can happen, the situation in the Middle East is unpredictable, but that is another topic that I would not go into. Since there are few games left, at least enough to last, to be played on a neutral court. I think that was everyone's opinion," Nikolić concluded.