Can Cedevita Olimpija tie the series vs. Dubai Basketball in the Dragons’ Lair?
In the Game 2 of the AdmiralBet ABA League Quarterfinals, Cedevita Olimpija will be hosting Dubai Basketball at home in their Stožice Arena in Ljubljana.
Jaka Blazic (Photo: Cedevita Olimpija/Ales Fevzer)
2024/25 AdmiralBet ABA League Quarterfinals Round 2, Friday, 16 May 2025:
CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA – DUBAI BASKETBALL
Where? Stožice Arena, Ljubljana
When? 18:00
Story of the game: In the Game 2 of the AdmiralBet ABA League Quarterfinals, Cedevita Olimpija will be hosting Dubai Basketball at home in their Stožice Arena in Ljubljana.
The Game 1 of the series could not be any more exciting in an encounter, that could have gone either way and that was only decided in the final second of the game, when DJ Stewart missed his game-winning shot attempt for Cedevita Olimpija.
Dubai Basketball squad celebrated, but this time they face an even tougher mission – prevail over the Ljubljana squad in hostile environment of the Stožice Arena and end the series, advancing to the Semifinals. Cedevita Olimpija, on the other hand, will of course try to use their home court advantage to tie the series and get the two squads back at the beginning in Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, for decisive Game 3.
This season, however, has taught us that home court advantage does not matter as much in the games of these two teams. In the Regular Season both teams have celebrated against each other on the road and Cedevita Olimpija were the last to beat the Dubai side this season, after which the UAE squad went on a 14 games long winning streak.
Lots depends on the daily inspiration of the players on both sides and what might be the only safe bet ahead of the Friday’s game is that we are in for another treat, where the victory might go one or the other way with zero predictability.
Match-up in focus: Perhaps one of the key match-ups of the game can be the one between Aleksej Nikolić and Nate Mason. Nikolić has been demonstrating some steady high-quality performances for Cedevita Olimpija lately and so was it in Dubai in the Game 1, when he made 11 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds and a valuation of 14. On the other side, Nate Mason simply shined in Game 1, as he led the way for Dubai Basketball on the way to their win with 18 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal and a valuation of 25. Who will lead his team to the win this time?
Head-to-head score in the regional league: In total 1:2; In Ljubljana 0:1.
