Crvena zvezda Meridianbet get the NLB Match of the Round win against Zadar

AdmiralBet ABA League Round 7, Sunday, 12 November 2023:

Zadar - CRVENA ZVEZDA MERIDIANBET 74:81 (24:23, 19:22, 11:25, 20:11)

PHOTO GALLERY
POST-GAME COMMENTS

Game recap: Crvena zvezda Meridianbet got the NLB Match of the Round win in front of 8000 Zadar fans. The first half was a tight game, Zadar with the help of their fans kept the match close. Right off the bat Zadar opened the game with a dunk from Drežnjak which instantly ignited the Zadar crowd. It was a back-and-forth affair in the first 20 minutes with the visitors taking a 2-point lead at halftime. 

Crvena zvezda Meridianbet pulled away in the third quarter, they outscored Zadar 11:25 which gave them the momentum going forward. But with the help of their fired-up crowd, Zadar managed to come back into the game but not enough to get the win. 

Key moments: After Luka Božić scored to make it 49:51, Crvena zvezda went on a quick 8:0 run to get a double-digit advantage in the third quarter. First Dejan Davidovac was successful with the layup to make it a 4-point advantage, in the next play Davidovac hit a three (49:56) which forced Danijel Jusup to call a timeout. After the timeout, Rokas Giedraitis topped the run with a three of his own to take the 10-point lead. 

Man of the match: Yago Dos Santos put up a great performance hitting 4 threes, including 2 crucial shots from downtown in the final quarter. Dos Santos finished the night with 12 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists. 

Can't hide the stats: Three-point shooting is what helped Crvena zvezda Meridianbet get the win. Zadar shot poorly from beyond the arc, shooting just 28% while the visitors were shooting a respectable 40% from long range.