The 2019 ABA Finals move to Podgorica – Budućnost VOLI host Crvena zvezda mts

Tuesday, 16. April 2019 at 13:04

It’s time for Game 3 in the 2019 ABA League Finals.

Nemanja Gordic (Photo: Buducnost VOLI)

ABA League Finals, Round 3, Wednesday, 17.4.2019:

BUDUĆNOST VOLI - CRVENA ZVEZDA MTS

Where? Sports Center Morača, Podgorica

When? 19:00

PRE-GAME COMMENTS

Story of the game: It’s time for Game 3 in the 2019 ABA League Finals!

The series now moves to Podgorica where Budućnost VOLI will host Crvena zvezda mts, while everyone in the home team hopes that this will not be the last game in the Finals. Budućnost VOLI are down by 0-2 in the battle for the trophy and they simply have to win the upcoming match in order to keep their championship dream alive. The reigning champions are definitely shaken by two heavy defeats in Belgrade, but now they need to show that they still haven’t lost the fighting spirit. The Blue team will have the whole gym on their side and that will be their biggest advantage in Game 3.

On the other side, Crvena zvezda mts are heading towards Podgorica to finish the job. The red & whites have put up an impressive performance so far in the 2019 ABA League Finals, winning the opening two games quite convincingly. It is enough just to say that in the first match they triumphed by 19 points (91:72), while the margin in the second match was 38 (107:69). Zvezda have won all 5 games against Budućnost VOLI in the ongoing season, but they are well aware that they need one more to win the ultimate prize. Last year they lost the title in Podgorica, this time they will give everything they got to reclaim it at the same place and bring it back to Belgrade.

Both teams have problems with injuries. Budućnost VOLI had stayed without Aleksa Ilić and Nikola Ivanović even before the start of the Playoffs, while Crvena zvezda mts still do not know how long Joe Ragland and Stratos Perperoglou will be sidelined due to their recent injuries.

Match-up in focus: Can James Bell be that secret weapon of Budućnost VOLI in Game 3? This small forward showed some of his scoring skills back in Belgrade, while this might be his moment to shine. Still, he will face Ognjen Dobrić who is not just a great defensive player, but also a man who still has not missed a single 2-point/3-point shot in the 2019 ABA League Finals! Dobrić is currently 7/7 for 2 points and 2/2 for 3 points in this series.

Head to head in the regional league: In total 17:22; In Podgorica 14:4.

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