Cibona face Cedevita Olimpija in the Round 26 opener
In the opening game of the AdmiralBet ABA League Round 26, Cibona will be hosting Cedevita Olimpija at home in their Dražen Petrović Arena in Zagreb.
Justin Cobbs (Photo: Cedevita Olimpija/Filip Barbalic)
2023/24 AdmiralBet ABA League Round 26, Friday, 5 April 2024:
CIBONA – CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA
Where? Dražen Petrović Arena, Zagreb
When? 18:00
Story of the game: In the opening game of the AdmiralBet ABA League Round 26, Cibona will be hosting Cedevita Olimpija at home in their Dražen Petrović Arena in Zagreb.
It is a game of two squads, that are always playing for more than just a couple of points when they face each other, due to long-lasting tradition and rivalry of both teams.
Cibona’s dilemma is whether they will finish season on 10th, 11th, or 12th place, while on the other end, Cedevita Olimpija are still in the race for the fourth place in the standings, despite their poor performances lately in the AdmiralBet ABA League, when they have lost 4 of their last 5 games.
In case Cedevita Olimpija are defeated, they finish 5th or 6th in the Regular Season, depending on the result of the game between Partizan Mozzart Bet and Zadar. And in case of their victory, they finish either 4th or 5th, depending on the score of the game between Igokea m:tel and Mega MIS. Either way, their own score does not determine their final position, but it is important for them to finish as high as possible, to gain a better position ahead of the Playoffs.
Previously, the two squads have met 4 times in Zagreb and while Cibona prevailed once, Cedevita Olimpija won 3 times.
How will the drama on court end this time?
Match-up in focus: Perhaps the most interesting match-up of the game is the one between Aleksandar Aranitović of Cibona and Jaka Blažič of Cedevita Olimpija. While Aranitović has been the top scorer, second-leading rebounder and third-leading passer of Cibona, averaging 15.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game this season, Blažič is averaging 14.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game so far this season as Cedevita Olimpija’s top scorer, third-leading rebounder and third-leading passer. It is indeed a match-up, that could well determine the flow of this game.
Head-to-head score in the regional league: In total 2:7; In Zagreb 1:3.
