The second game is set for Tuesday, with the series moving to Zagreb on Thursday
In the first game of the ABA League finals, Cedevita basketball team lost against Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade with 66:81 The second game is set for Tuesday and the third for Thursday in Zagreb, Večernji List reported on April 10, 2017.
The most efficient Cedevita players were Tomas with 14 and Bilan and James with 12 each, while Zvezda player Jenkis made 20 points and Wolter and Kuzmić 14 each.
Cedevita made a great start to the game, had a 15 point surplus up to the eighth minute (8:23). Bilan was on top of his game, making ten points in that period. In the last two minutes the home team managed to reduce the advantage to 16:27.
The second quarter saw a change in the score. For a full three minutes Cedevita failed to score. Zvezda began playing tougher defence and began to score, coming to 26:29. The home team took advantage of the black hole Pozzecco’s team was in and in the second half of the second quarter took the lead 31:30.
In the last minute Zvezda had a five point advantage, but Tomas and Bilan reduced it with free throws to 45:44, the score at halftime.
The red and white Zvezda team continued to play tough, stopping Cedevita players in the third quarter to only ten points. The advantage was well guarded by the home team until the end of the game. Zvezda came out a winner with 81:66.
Cedevita players were led by assistant coach Gianmarco Pozzecco, also on duty tomorrow, as head coach Veljko Mršić was banned for two games.