Cedevita Olimpija once again beat Partizan Mozzart Bet in Ljubljana

2023/24 AdmiralBet ABA League Round 8, Monday, 20 November 2023:

CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA - Partizan Mozzart Bet 95:91 (22:27, 29:23, 22:21, 22:20)

PHOTO GALLERY

POST-GAME COMMENTS

Game recap: Cedevita Olimpija have kept their perfect home-court score against Partizan Mozzart Bet as they defeated the reigning AdmiralBet ABA League champions in this week's NLB Match of the Round.

Year after year, Cedevita Olimpija and Partizan Mozzart Bet are playing thrilling games in Ljubljana and every time the outcome is the same – The Dragons prevail. The same thing happened this Sunday evening in this week’s NLB Match of the Round when Cedevita Olimpija defeated Partizan Mozzart Bet in another classic in Stožice Arena.

With Jaka Blažič and Klemen Prepelič on fire, the Dragons had more energy and concentration in the final minutes of the game in which they gained the key 6-point lead – 93:87, with less than 2 minutes remaining on the game clock. After that, the home team had several good defensive plays that have helped them stay in front until the end 

Cedevita Olimpija have therefore surpassed Partizan Mozzart Bet on the standings as the Ljubljana side now have the overall score of 6-2, while Partizan Mozzart Bet dropped to 5-3.

Key moments: We have menetioned that Cedevita Olimpija gained that crucial 6-point lead, with less than 2 minutes left to be played, while we should also mention one very important moment that happened in the remaining time.

Partizan Mozzart Bet managed to reduce the gap to just 2 points – 93:91, right at the start of the final minute, while then, when everyone expected that Jaka Blažič or Klemen Prepelič would take the ball in their hands, an unlikely hero for Cedevita Olimpija showed up to seal the win for the Dragons. It was Dewayne Stewart Jr. who hit perhaps the crucial 2-pointer to put his team back on a 4-point lead (95:91) and, as it turned out, to make the final score in this match.

Man of the match: Well, this is a hard choice. Klemen Prepelič recorded another double-double in this season as he finished the match with 18 points and 11 assists for the overall index rating of 33. Yet, we will say that Jaka Blažič is the MVP today as he scored 29 points, including all of the key free throws in the 4^th quarter. Blažič also had 6 rebounds, while his overall index rating was 32.

Can't trick the stats: At the end, it was the 3-point shot that made the difference in this match. We all know that it is the strongest offensive weapon of Cedevita Olimpija, while the Dragons had a really good shooting night as they were 11/21 from behind the arc.