Last night, during the 25th round of the AdmiralBet ABA League, Buducnost Voli emerged victorious against Cibona in Zagreb with a score of 96:82, keeping them in a tie for first place with Partizan.

Both teams hold a record of 22-3, and in the upcoming round, Buducnost will face SC Derbi, while Partizan will take on Igokea. A crucial showdown will follow in Podgorica.

In Zagreb, Buducnost held a 25-point lead in the first half (40:15), but Cibona managed to close the gap to within five points multiple times. However, the “blues” regained their double-digit advantage to secure the win.

“When we execute well, particularly on defense, we perform exceptionally. Yet, moments of relaxation and losing focus lead to issues—this is unacceptable. We allowed 34 points in the third quarter, compared to just 33 in the first half. Defense is where it starts and ends; it’s about our focus and controlling easy points for the opponent,” said Buducnost coach Andrej Žakelj after the match.

Buducnost played without Slavković and Ferrell, who returned to the USA for personal matters, and Sulajmon exited the game in the third quarter and did not return.

“We began the game well—aggressively, running, and scoring easily. We need to maintain that intensity for as long as possible. Each game presents challenges, and every win is crucial as a defeat could impact our ranking significantly. Our main goal was a win, and we achieved that. There were positive moments, though there’s room for improvement. We’ll address the negatives and focus on extending the positives during gameplay. I commend Cibona for their competitive spirit and wish them success for the remainder of the season,” added Žakelj.

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