ABA League: Mega Bemax upsets FMP, Crvena Zvezda a no-show

It was a surprising Monday night in the ABA League with two games supposedly locked and loaded to close out Round 13. Unfortunately, a key clash between Buducnost Voli Podgorica and Crvena Zvezda Beograd was not able to take place. The game, scheduled for 18:00 at Moraca Sports Hall, was not able to be played because the Crvena Zvezda team did not appear on the court. Obviously, this was a big disappointment to the fans in attendance. However, the ABA League will be informing the public in a timely manner regarding the further steps it will be taking regarding the case.

It was not a completely sour end to 2019, at least not for Mega Bemax. The cellar-dwelling club improved to 3-10 with a stunning 95-91 upset over FMP. The pink squad used a fourth-quarter rally to come from behind and tie the game at 84-84 with a minute left in regulation.

Marko Simonovic was stellar with a game-high 26 points and 12 rebounds to spearhead a balanced effort from his team on the offensive end. He also sealed the game for good making 1-of-2 shots at the line when the clock expired.

The stunning loss sends FMP to fourth place in the standings with an 8-5 record, one that’s shared with Primorska (5th), so they’re in a precarious position in the standings.

It was an underdog story that came to a happy end and a bright end to the year we know as 2019.

As for the other game, we still have to await the decisions and moves by the ABA League. It will likely be rescheduled for sure, but whether sanctions will be levied is another story.