This was a duel of moments. Both teams had bursts of good energy, taking turns in the lead, so the third quarter was played basket for basket. Kamenjas kept Partizan close, with contributions from defensive sequences by McKinley Wright, and when Yogi Ferrell joined in, Andrej Zakelj’s team led again. The home team didn’t stop there, as they concluded that part of the game after Fletcher Magee’s three-pointer, leading by five points going into the final 10 minutes.
The fourth quarter couldn’t have started better for Buducnost. Makoundou monstrously dunked over James Nunnally, drawing a foul, putting the opponents in a subordinate position. There were tensions between the players of both teams, as well as a verbal altercation between Partizan’s starters and the crowd. Frank Kaminsky received a technical, then a flagrant foul, after which he was ejected, and the Montenegrin team took a maximum lead of nine points. It seemed as if the home team thought it was over at that point.
They slowed down, and the “steamroller” took advantage, narrowing the gap to just three points with three minutes left. The same balance was on the scoreboard with 15 seconds left, when Aleksa Avramovic stepped up to the free-throw line. He was accurate twice, and the drama was complete. Kamenjas missed both free throws, and on the other side, Avramovic missed the game-winning layup, so Buducnost secured a decisive game.
The top scorers for the winners were Ferrell with 13 points and Kamenjas with 12. Punter led the guests with 17 points.
Now, a decisive game follows, scheduled for May 10th in Belgrade. The winner of that game will play against the winner of the Mega – Crvena Zvezda series (0-1).
Just another day in the office for Yoan Makoundou 🤷♂️@KKBuducnostVOLI #ABAPlayoffs #NLBSlamDunk pic.twitter.com/YndHx9Ojmc
— AdmiralBet ABA League (@ABA_League) May 7, 2024