DECIMATED MEGA MIS LOSES SECOND ABA LEAGUE SEMIFINAL GAME TO CRVENA ZVEZDA DESPITE STRONG START

The basketball players of Mega MIS were defeated in the second semifinal game of the ABA League against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet, ending the season in the regional competition just one step away from the grand final, 69:94 (26:19, 11:28, 16:29,16:18). Marko Barać’s team opened the match excellently, leading 9:0 and ending the first quarter with a seven-point advantage, but a strong response from the opponent followed, which managed to pull away towards the end of the second quarter. Mega attempted to stage a comeback without the help of injured captains Uroš Plavšić, Lovro Gnjidić, and Stefan Miljenović, they fought hard but failed to threaten the lead of the more experienced opponent, thus ending the season in the semifinals, which is still an exceptional result. In the end, it was 2-0 for Crvena Zvezda, which became the first finalist of the ABA League for the 2023/24 season.

The top scorers for Mega MIS were Ilija Milijašević and Bogoljub Marković, with 13 points each. Marković also grabbed seven rebounds, making him the most valuable player of Barać’s squad with a PIR of 17. They were followed by Nikola Đurišić, with 12 points, while Andrija Jelavić was close to a double-double with eight points and rebounds.

For Crvena Zvezda, Rokas Giedraitis was the top scorer with 20 points, followed by Freddie Gillespie with 16. Yago dos Santos contributed 13 points, and Luka Mitrović added 10.

The match was attended by former Mega MIS basketball player, young NBA talent from the Miami Heat, and Serbian national team representative Nikola Jović. Before the start of the match, he presented a Mega jersey to Crvena Zvezda’s playmaker Nikola Topić, who spent the first part of the current season with Barać’s team.

Mega opened the game splendidly and made a 9:0 run in less than three minutes. The opponent then responded, narrowing the gap to 12:10, but Barać’s players launched another surge and, with just over a minute left, built a double-digit lead (21:11). The end of the quarter favored the guests, leading to a 26:19 score at halftime. However, upon returning from the break, Crvena Zvezda made an 11:2 run, turning the score around (28:30). Mega responded with seven consecutive points and, after Milijašević’s three-pointer, regained a 35:30 lead. However, Crvena Zvezda reestablished control and pulled away, leading 37:47 at halftime.

Mega fought well upon returning to the court but couldn’t reduce the deficit. Midway through the third quarter, the visiting team made another run, extending their lead to 23 points, making it clear that Barać’s players faced a tough task. Despite giving their best effort, without the help of three key players, they couldn’t threaten the lead of the more experienced opponent and had to accept that their ABA League season would end in the semifinals.

Mega MIS achieved an exceptional result by reaching the semifinals, and they still have the Super League of Serbia ahead, where they will face Partizan in the semifinals.

Mega MIS: Milijašević 13, Jelavić 8 (8 rebounds), Marković 13 (7 rebounds), Kobzystyi 3, Popović, Milutinović, Ilyasoglu 5 (5 assists), Đurišić 12 (4 rebounds, 4 assists), Kovačević 2, Jović 8 (5 rebounds), Mušicki 1, Malovec 4

Crvena Zvezda: Lazarević, Teodosić 4, Thompkins 7, Davidovac 6, Mitrović 10, Lazić 5, Ilić, Nedović 9, Giedraitis 20, Gilespie 16, Topić 4, Yago dos Santos

Photo: Mega MIS/Ivica Veselinov