Crvena zvezda Meridianbet win the thriller in Laktaši and advance to the semi-finals

2024/25 AdmiralBet ABA League Quarterfinals Round 2, Thursday, 15 May 2025:

Igokea m:tel – CRVENA ZVEZDA MERIDIANBET 90:95 (20:11, 25:25, 24:28, 21:31)

PHOTO GALLERY

POST-GAME COMMENTS

Game recap: Crvena zvezda Meridianbet have booked their ticket for the 2025 AdmiralBet ABA League semi-finals after pulling off a stunning comeback victory on the road against Igokea m:tel – 95:90. The red-and-whites closed the quarter-finals series with a 2-0 sweep, but Game 2 in Laktaši was anything but easy.

Igokea m:tel controlled the game for more than 30 minutes, playing with high intensity and rhythm. At one point in the 3rd quarter, the home team had a commanding 14-point lead (55:41) and looked poised to force a Game 3. However, Zvezda slowly started closing the gap before launching a full comeback in the final period.

The Belgrade team showed championship mentality when it mattered the most, delivering clutch plays in the final minutes to edge out their rivals and advance to the next stage.

Crvena zvezda Meridianbet now await their opponent in the semi-finals, while Igokea m:tel bow out after a brave showing in this best-of-three series.

Key moments: The turning point of the match came in the closing moments with the score tied at 90:90. Zvezda's forward Rokas Giedraitis stepped up and drained a huge 3-pointer from the corner to give his team a 93:90 lead with less than a minute to go.

On the next possession, Igokea m:tel’s best player Bryce Jones committed a costly turnover by stepping out of bounds, which handed the ball back to the Belgrade side. The visitors capitalized on that mistake, as Nemanja Nedović calmly sank both free throws to extend the lead to 95:90 and seal the win.

Man of the match: While the clutch shot by Giedraitis might go down as the play of the game, the title of Man of the match goes to Filip Petrušev. Zvezda’s star power forward once again proved his class with a dominant double-double performance – 21 points, 10 rebounds, and an impressive index rating of 31.

Can’t trick the stats: While the scoreboard tells one story, the stat sheet reveals another key factor behind Crvena zvezda Meridianbet’s comeback win — team play. The red-and-whites dished out eight more assists than Igokea m:tel (24 to 16), showcasing their superior ball movement and unselfishness. And the final, most important assist came when it mattered the most — Isaiah Canaan drove and kicked the ball to the corner, where he found Rokas Giedraitis wide open for the game-winning three-pointer.