Crvena Zvezda defeated Studentski centar on away court by 92:77 for a final 2-0 result and advancement to the semifinals of the ABA League.
Coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos did not count on the trio of Dalibor Ilic, Adam Hanga, and Freddie Gillespie. What certainly pleased the fans of the red and whites was the return of Nikola Topic after a three-month break due to injury suffered in the ‘eternal’ derby against Partizan.
This game was a special milestone for Branko Lazic, who wore the red and white jersey for the 800th time in his career.
The top scorer in the winning team was Yago dos Santos with 17 points and four assists. Nemanja Nedovic counted to 13 before being ejected, while Rokas Giedraitis scored 12 points. Perhaps the most pleasing performance for the red and whites was Trey Thompkins, who scored 11 points. In the losing team, Mateo Dreznjak led with 18 points. Nikola Pavlicevic scored 13 points, and Luka Bogavac also reached double digits with 10 points.
In the semifinal series of the regional competition, Crvena Zvezda will face Mega. They played twice in the regular season, with each team winning once. It was Mega’s first win against the red and whites in the ABA League after 26 games. Marko Barac’s team defeated Cedevita Olimpija with a clean sweep, winning 2-0.
Branko Lazic has played 800 games for Crvena Zvezda!
Can he go for a 1000?#kkcz pic.twitter.com/5rDVYVQNlS
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) April 22, 2024