Budućnost VOLI get the NLB Match of the Round win against Igokea m:tel

AdmiralBet ABA League Round 3, Saturday, 5 October 2024:

Igokea m:tel - BUDUĆNOST VOLI 71:76 (15:20, 12:22, 18:14, 26:20)

PHOTO GALLERY
POST-GAME COMMENTS

Game recap: Budućnost VOLI survived a late run from Igokea m:tel to win the NLB Match of the Round on the road. 

It was a gritty game from the get-go, both teams had struggled shooting the ball early on, particularly from 3-point range, each team started the game shooting 0/8 from beyond the arc. Despite the shooting issues, Budućnost VOLI managed to control the lead through most of the game, in the second half they took their advantage to a game-high 17. Despite that Igokea m:tel put up a fight until the very end, in the final two minutes of the game they went on a desperation run to try and scrape their way to a win but Budućnost VOLI would manage to hang on the lead with all their will. 

Key moments: In the early moments of the final quarter, Budućnost VOLI, who had been controlling the lead throughout the game, went on a quick 8:4 run to take their lead to 14 with just 6 minutes remaining in the game. Despite their efforts, this was too big of a margin for Igokea m:tel to overcome, this run gave Budućnost VOLI the cushion heading into the endgame. 

Man of the match: McKinley Wright was just a joy to watch on the court tonight, he was Budućnost VOLI's top scorer with 14 points on near-perfect shooting, 5/6 FG. It's clear why the blue-and-whites kept this talented guard around for another season. 

Can't trick the stats: Rebounding was a big factor tonight, Budućnost VOLI dominated the boards, outrebounding the hosts 20:30. Tanasković, Sulaimon, and Kamenjaš were causing problems for Igokea m:tel inside, combined they pulled down 23 rebounds, more than the entire team of Igokea m:tel.