Budućnost VOLI move up to the 1st place as they beat Partizan Mozzart Bet in the battle for the top
Budućnost VOLI defeated Partizan Mozzart Bet in this week's NLB Match of the Round and made a major step forward in the race for the 1st place in the regular season,
(Photo: Buducnost VOLI/Filip Roganovic)
2024/25 AdmiralBet ABA League Round 27, Monday, 14 April 2025:
BUDUĆNOST VOLI - Partizan Mozzart Bet 81:77 (21:20, 22:13, 25:24, 13:20)
Game recap: In one of the most anticipated matchups of the 2024/25 AdmiralBet ABA League season, Budućnost VOLI claimed a huge 81:77 win over Partizan Mozzart Bet in a sold-out Morača Sports Hall. With this victory, Budućnost VOLI not only pulled one win ahead of Partizan Mozzart Bet on the standings (24-3 vs. 23-4) with three rounds left in the regular season, but also secured a better head-to-head record against the Belgrade side.
Just like in their first duel in Belgrade, it was McKinley Wright IV who once again took control of the game and proved to be the deciding factor for the Podgorica team. Budućnost VOLI maintained a slim lead throughout the game, playing with great focus and composure in front of their home crowd.
Despite trailing, Partizan Mozzart Bet made a late push in the fourth quarter and had several chances to turn the tide. However, they failed to capitalize, missing multiple key shots down the stretch.
With this win, Budućnost VOLI takes a major step toward securing 1st place ahead of the Playoffs, while Partizan Mozzart Bet will now need to rely on Budućnost VOLI slipping up to climb back to the top. The race continues, but this night belonged to the Podgorica side.
Key moments: The turning point came in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. At the score of 75:70 for the home team, Partizan Mozzart Bet’s power forward Isiaha Mike missed a 2-pointer that could have cut the deficit to just three points.
Shortly after, at the score of 79:73, Budućnost VOLI big guy Kenan Kamenjaš “turned into a rock” to make a huge block to protect the rim of his team in the key moment of the game.
Man of the match: For the second time this season against Partizan Mozzart Bet, McKinley Wright IV was the standout performer. The dynamic guard controlled the tempo, made clutch baskets, and delivered yet another high-level performance when the stakes were at their peak. His leadership and consistency under pressure were instrumental in Budućnost VOLI’s triumph and could prove decisive in the final standings. Wright finished the match with 17 points and 6 assists.
Can’t trick the stats: Budućnost VOLI played more as a team than their rivals tonight and the number of assists is the best proof for that. While the home team made 20 assists tonight, Partizan Mozzart Bet delivered just 11 assists for the whole match.
Stats
Players on court
| BUD | Min | PtsP | RebsR | AssA | StS | FoulF | ValV | |
| 0 | Morgan J. | 24:17 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 17 |
| 1 | Sulaimon R. | 26:11 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| 11 | Ferrell Jr K. | 18:54 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 13 |
| 13 | Jovanović Đ. | 22:40 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
| 34 | Kamenjaš K. | 24:57 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| PAR | Min | PtsP | RebsR | AssA | StS | FoulF | ValV | |
| 0 | Davies B. | 22:21 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
| 1 | Lundberg G. | 19:19 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | Jones C. | 29:23 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 27 |
| 9 | Marinković V. | 34:56 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 15 |
| 17 | Bonga I. | 22:49 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
Top players
| VALUE (INDEX) | ||||
| Wright IV M. | 18 | - | 27 | Jones C. |
| POINTS | ||||
| Wright IV M. | 17 | - | 23 | Jones C. |
| REBOUNDS | ||||
| Jovanović Đ. | 7 | - | 6 | Bonga I. |
| ASSISTS | ||||
| Wright IV M. | 6 | - | 3 | Bonga I. |
