The Cedevita-Olimpija basketball team continued their strong performances, securing a 74:69 victory over Red Star in the 22nd round of the AdmiralBet ABA League tonight in Ljubljana.

Under the guidance of Zvezdan Mitrović, the team has maintained its momentum following a win against Besiktas in the Eurocup on Wednesday, which saw them advance to the quarterfinals.

“From beginning to end, it was a battle for every single play. When players are this committed, it’s a pleasure to watch, and I believe the fans enjoyed both sides. I also want to congratulate Red Star, and my players for maintaining their consistency and finishing the game strong,” Mitrović remarked after the match.

The “Dragons” played without Jaka Blažič, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to an injury.

“Blažič needs time to recover; we don’t want to rush the healing process. We’ll assess our financial situation to see if we can make new signings; we aren’t actively looking right now. Tomorrow at 7 PM, we are heading to Istanbul, and if funding allows, we will seek a replacement, as we still have three months of the season left,” Mitrović added.

The Eurocup quarter-final clash against Bahçeşehir is scheduled for Tuesday (18) in Istanbul, where Mitrović’s godfather, Dejan Radonjić, will be coaching.

“My godfather and brother, Dejan Radonjić, has built an impressive European team with clear ambitions. They excelled in a tough group, with depth in every position and many experienced players. Their work ethic is commendable; they are a club with high aspirations. Radonjić’s defensive strategies are well known, and Red Star was historically among the best in the Euroleague, while this Bahçeşehir team has a wealth of offensive talent and defensive strength,” concluded Mitrović.

Following this match, Red Star slipped to fourth place in the standings.

“It’s clear we lost due to poor shooting percentages from both the field and the free-throw line. Our defense was solid—Cedevita-Olimpija only scored 74 points, well below their usual scoring when they win here. We missed our opportunities to take the lead; the team showed more focus and commitment compared to previous games, but our shooting let us down,” said Red Star coach Yannis Sferopoulos.

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