MEGA WAS ONE SHOT AWAY FROM THIRD GAME, ZVEZDA IN FINALS!

Again Mega provided a great game against Crvena zvezda in Sremska Mitrovica but the shot for three from Keselj ended up on the rim and guests went in the finals with a score of 89:90 (18:23, 24:17, 27:27, 20:23) and with 0: 2 in the series.

The best in Mega Leks were Nikola Jokic with 23 points (7-9 fot two) and 8 rebounds (PIR 34), Nenad Miljenovic with 15 points and 6 assists and Danilo Nikolic with 13 points and 8 rebounds. In Zvezda Nikola Kalinic scored 24 points.

Dejan Milojevic started the match with Miljenovic, Zagorac, Keselj, Nikolic and Jokic. In the beginning, the teams were not too precise and, after four minutes, the score was 5: 5. After that Zvezda with 8 points of Marjanovic arrives to plus 8, 9:17. After the time-out of Milojevic, Mega was able to bind to 8 points with great assistance as Jokic for Webster, and reduced to minus 1. The first quarter ended with 18:23.

In the second quarter until the middle of period, Zvezda managed to keep the advantage of basket, two over Megaa and then, the home team started to play great defence. For nearly five minutes, Zvezda did not make it to the basket while Mega Leks scored 9 and went into the lead, 39:34. Halftime score was 42:40.

At the start of the second half, Nikolic for two and three Miljenovic returns plus 7 for Mega. Lazic scored three points for the visitors but Keselj returned three. Sulovic after entering the game tied 5 points. New three of Keselj brings plus 9, 60:51 and minutes later a double-digit lead after the basket with a foul, 63:53. Williams got Zvezda back into the game with two threes and before the last 10 minutes, the score was 69-67.

Jokic again played great at the beginning of the last quarter and with 7 points related returns 78:71. With 5 points of  Kalinic and Williams 3 free throws, Zvezda took the lead. Miljenovic interrupted a series of guests and returns tje lead 82:79. Zvezda continued hitting threes but Jokic achieves extremely important basket in the last second of attack for 87:85. Then Miljenovic stole the ball and made lay-up for 89:85 to 3:24 left in the game. Mega then completely stopped in the attack, Kalinic hits the three and then Mitrovic hit both free throws for 89:90 before the last minute. Zagorac shot slips from basket but Mega managed to defend Zvezda’sattack. In the last offensive play Kešelj attempted three points hot to two seconds before the end of trying to bring victory, but the ball didn’t get in and Crvena zvezda went into the finals.

Mega Leks: Keselj 14 points, Nemanja Krstic 3 points, Ognjen Jaramaz 5 points, Veljkovic, Miljenovic 15 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds, Bojic, Jokic 23 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists, Sulovic 9 points and 4 rebounds, Webster 5 points, Zagorac 2 points, Simeunovic, Nikolic 13 points and 8 rebounds.

Nikola Jokic:“Great match where everyone enjoyed the game, both the players and the audience. The whole game we had a lead and we had a winning shot. We tried to surprise them, but we lacked a little in the end. I would like to thank Mega for two and a half years at the club and for everything it gave me. It was an honor to wear the pink-purple shirt”.

Dejan Milojevic: “Congratulations to Zvezda, they deserved to win and reach the finals. We had to play a totally different match from the first to have a chance in Mitrovica, and that’s what we did. We played a good quality match and as many times this season, we lacked luck but there’s time for these young young guys. Therefore we have several times this season matches played with Zvezda on one possesion and it is a great success for us. I think our players during the season progressed and matured, which is our main goal, to be better at the end than at the beginning of the season”.