MEGA IN AMAZING DRAMA LEFT WITHOUT WIN

Mega without winning in an unreal finish!

In the game of the 24th round of the ABA League, after an incredible finish, Mega Mozart lost on road agaist Split with 81:80 (25:27, 13:16, 21:12, 22:25). In the result seesaw during the entire course of the match, coach Vladimir Jovanovic’s team was trailing 4 points in 5 seconds until the end, and then Jovic hit a three-pointer under foul with a second until the end, but failed to introduce the game in overtime since he missed an additional free throw.

The most efficient in the ranks of Mega were Borisa Simanic with 30 points (17 in the first quarter) and Nikola Jovic with 22 points. Toni Perkovic stood out in the Split with 21 points.

After 24 rounds of the ABA league, Mega Mozzart has a score of 8-16 with a game less, while Split has a score of 6:17. Mega Mozzart will play the next game on Monday, April 4, at 6 pm, when they will play against Zadar.

Mega started the match with Smith, Ruzhentsev, Jovic, Simanic and Matkovic. At the beginning of the game, Simanic is unstoppable, scoring the first 14 points for Mega with a 3-3 shot for 3 points, so Mega leads 12:14 after less than 5 minutes of play. Jovic joins him, and Simanic with his fourth three-pointer puts Mega in the lead 14:19, so Split asked for a time-out. The home team returns the equalizer with two triples, so Jovanović is now looking for a time-out. After a minute of rest, Mega responded with a run of 0:7 with great assists by Smith, but did not manage to separate, so Split reduced the difference to only two points with Shorter’s points, 25:27 at the end of the first quarter.

A few misses and mistakes on both sides at the beginning of the second quarter, so the result is 34:34. Mega’s players missed a few lay-ups, but with a good defense they did not allow Split to take the lead. Mega manages to punish Split’s misses from the counter, so they leave at halftime with an advantage of 38:43.

It is played in series at the beginning of the third quarter. First, Mega with a run of 0:7 reaches plus 12, 38:50, but Split fights back with two triples and a series of 8:0. Mega stopped in the attack, and Split gained the advantage with threes and from the free throw line, 53:52. That result stood for a few minutes, and then Split rounded off the lead with a total series of 21:2 for lead 59:52. Jovic hits a three-pointer from 7 and a half meters and sets the score after the third quarter 59:55.

Mega plays better at the beginning of the last section and Simanic’s triple from the corner leads to an equalizer, and then Smith’s triple from the other corner leads to the lead, 63:64. However, the series of mistakes of Mega, which Split punishes with a run of 8:0, reaches an advantage of 71:64. Mega came two points behind for a minute and a half until the end, but then loses the ball and Split reaches plus 4 from free throws, but on the other hand Simanic hits an important three. Zganec returns plus 3 to Split after an offensive rebound, on the other side Jovic hit both free throws. Matkovic commits a foul before Split throwing the ball, and after the awarded unsportsmanlike Zganec hits one free throw, and then Perkovic hits an unreal triple off the board with 18 seconds until the end. Simanic hits a fast three-pointer at 8 seconds to the end, while on the other side, Shorter is fouled, who is accurate both times for 81:77 with 5 seconds to the end. In the remaining time, Jovic hits a difficult three-pointer under a foul, but he misses the opportunity to introduce the game in overtime from the free throw line, so Split finally celebrated with 81:80.

Split: Perkovic, 21, Runjic 6, Zganec 9, Ukic 7, Campara, Sisko, Jukic 4, Kovacevic, Jones 2, Shorter 17, Baric 15.

Mega Mozzart: Vujic, Ruzhentsev 4, Jovic 22 (6 rebounds), Rudan 6, Uskokovic, Kocovic, Smith 7 (6 rebounds, 13 assists), Cerovina, Matkovic 11 (8 rebounds), Cazalon, Simanic 30 (7-8 for 3p), Musikic.

Photo: Split/Ivica Cavka