After losses to Turk Telekom in the Eurocup and Mega in the AdmiralBet ABA League, Buducnost Voli has recently stumbled, dropping two matches in which they fell behind early and couldn’t recover.

While their Eurocup journey has ended, they are still fighting for the top spot in the AdmiralBet ABA League before the playoffs. Partizan currently holds the lead, and Buducnost needs to respond, with their first opportunity coming tomorrow (19) against Borac from Čačak in the 23rd round of the regional competition.

“We need to react, and that’s our primary focus. We remember our previous game against them, which featured two distinct halves,” noted Buducnost coach Andrej Žakelj in his match preview.

In their last encounter, Buducnost built a 20-point cushion (56:36), but Borac rallied, even taking a late lead at 77:76, before Buducnost triumphed (88:82).

“Borac is a tough competitor who plays with intensity and energy. They play without pressure, which we expect again. We must be fully prepared and improve on several aspects. Our focus will be on enhancing our performance,” Žakelj added.

Rashid Sulajmon echoed the need for improvement following two underwhelming performances.

“This game is crucial. We have to demonstrate our response after the last few matches. It’s great to have everyone back together. We need to play well and regain our rhythm. I anticipate a solid game,” said the defender from Podgorica.

He also acknowledged the team’s inconsistent energy levels in recent games.

“We must start with aggression and control the tempo of the game. It all begins with defense—high intensity and pressure. That can lead to easy points and get us rolling on offense. When that occurs, I believe we become a formidable challenge for any opponent,” Sulajmon concluded.

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