New Year's spectacle in Zagreb - Cibona vs. Partizan NIS
Special game, special time of the year. In the 16th round of ABA League Cibona will host Partizan NIS in Dražen Petrović Hall, Zagreb.
(Photo: ABA)
Special game, special time of the year. In the 16th round of ABA League Cibona will host Partizan NIS in Dražen Petrović Hall, Zagreb.
ABA League 16th round, Friday, 30.12.2016:
Where? Dražen Petrović Hall, Zagreb
When? 19:00
Story of the game: The city of Zagreb has been waiting for this match for quite a time. Cibona were on a run of 4 wins and everything seemed perfect for the Wolves, however then something happened that really broke the spirits among the fans. The club simply could not refuse the rich offer Darussafaka made for talented center Ante Žižić, so the current top scorer and the top rebounder of the league left Zagreb and moved to Istanbul. Immediately after his departure, Cibona suffered a heavy defeat against Mornar.
Still, the important thing for the hosts is that they are still in the race for the Playoffs and the match against Partizan NIS will therefore be a true basketball spectacle as it means a lot to the both sides.
The Belgrade crew have written down 6 consecutive wins in ABA League and they are all alone at the 2nd position. On top of that, they now have 2 wins more than Cibona, Cedevita and Budućnost VOLI, so the plan is to stay in front of these teams in order to have that valuable home court advantage in the semifinals.
Match-up in focus: Scott Reynolds vs. William Hatcher. Both sides have decided to entrust the point guard position to the American players in this season, and it seems they haven't made a mistake. Since his arrival in Zagreb, Reynolds has been one of the best players of the team, while on the other side Will Hatcher has been the main offensive power of Partizan NIS throughout the whole season.
Head to head in regional league: In total 10:22; In Zagreb 9:7.
