Cedevita Olimpija Claim a Massive Win vs. Crvena zvezda Meridianbet in Dramatic Finish
Cedevita Olimpija prevailed over Crvena zvezda Meridianbet in this week's Match of the Round.
Aleksej Nikolic (Photo: Cedevita Olimpija/Ales Fevzer)
2025/26 AdmiralBet ABA League Group B Round 7, Monday, 17 November 2025:
CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA - Crvena zvezda Meridianbet 87:86 (23:16, 25:28, 17:22, 22:20)
Game Recap: The Match of the Round delivered everything it promised - intensity, drama, clutch moments and a finish decided by mere millimeters. Cedevita Olimpija prevailed in a thrilling battle against Crvena zvezda Meridianbet, taking an 87:86 win that keeps the Dragons flying high in the 2025/26 AdmiralBet ABA League.
With this massive victory, Cedevita Olimpija improved their season record to 5-1, confirming their excellent early form. Crvena zvezda Meridianbet, heavily affected by injury problems once again, dropped to 3-3 despite a brave late comeback effort.
Key moments: The Dragons entered the final stretch with momentum and seemed on the verge of closing the game when they gained a 7-point lead (85:78) with under ninety seconds remaining.
But ABA classics rarely end without drama.
Zvezda mounted a late surge, forcing pressure on every possession and making Cedevita Olimpija work for every point in the dying moments.
At 86:84, with less than ten seconds left on the clock, Umoja Gibson stepped to the free-throw line with a chance to seal the win. He converted just one out of two free throws, leaving the door slightly open - 87:84.
Cedevita Olimpija then failed to commit an intentional foul in time to prevent Crvena zvezdaMeridianbet from attempting a three-pointer. The ball found its way to Codi Miller-McIntyre, who rose for the potential game-tying shot.
He made it - but it wasn’t a three.
In a sequence that will be replayed for days, Miller-McIntyre’s foot landed just millimeters inside the 3-point line. Instead of tying the game at 87:87, his jumper counted as a two-pointer, fixing the final score at 87:86 and sending Ljubljana into celebration.
Man of the Match: Umoja Gibson. Despite the late free-throw tension, Gibson was the heartbeat of Cedevita Olimpija. He led the team with 18 points and orchestrated the Dragons’ offense all night long.
Can’t Trick the Stats: In a rivalry filled with unforgettable endings, it was once again the tiny details that decided everything. Just one foot placement, a missed foul, a single free throw… In clashes between Cedevita Olimpija and Crvena zvezda, it’s always the small things that separate victory from heartbreak.
Stats
Players on court
| COL | Min | PtsP | RebsR | AssA | StS | FoulF | ValV | |
| 0 | Stewart JR D. | 32:18 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 16 |
| 1 | Gibson U. | 21:32 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 12 |
| 2 | Girard III J. | 10:10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -3 |
| 5 | Nikolić A. | 23:40 | 15 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 20 |
| 24 | Škara D. | 25:47 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| CZV | Min | PtsP | RebsR | AssA | StS | FoulF | ValV | |
| 0 | Miller-McIntyre C. | 33:29 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 1 | Plavšić U. | 23:01 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 23 |
| 2 | Miljenović S. | 10:57 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 9 |
| 7 | Davidovac D. | 26:47 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| 37 | Ojeleye S. | 24:55 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 18 |
Last 5 actions
| Min | Score | Action |
| game finished | ||
| end of 4. quarter | ||
| 00:00 (Q4) | 2 GIRARD III J. substitution (in) | |
| 00:00 (Q4) | 54 KENNEDY T. substitution (out) | |
| 00:00 (Q4) | Timeout ![]() | |
| 00:00 (Q4) | 87 : 86 | 0 MILLER-MCINTYRE C. made 2 points (jump shot) |
Top players
| VALUE (INDEX) | ||||
| Nikolić A. | 20 | - | 23 | Plavšić U. |
| POINTS | ||||
| Gibson U. | 18 | - | 18 | Ojeleye S. |
| REBOUNDS | ||||
| Nikolić A. | 5 | - | 7 | Plavšić U. |
| ASSISTS | ||||
| Nikolić A. | 7 | - | 5 | Miller-McIntyre C. |



