Cedevita beats Buducnost, heads to Final Four

Adriatic League – Croatia’s KK Cedevita Zagreb defeats Montenegrin team KK Buducnost Voli Podgorica, 76-71. The win gives them an 18-6 record and secures their spot in the Final Four. They join Serbian club Crvena Zvezda Telekom Beograd which sealed their regular season position atop the standings with a win over KK Zadar two days ago.

Cedevita quickly surged ahead in the first quarter. They poured in 27 points and were ahead of the visiting team by nine in the first frame. The team from Montenegro would not just roll over and be beaten so easily. Steadily, they chipped away at the host’s lead during the second and third quarters. Cedevita stalled Buducnost’s momentum in the fourth and were able to hold on for the win.

Cedevita was led by the impressive performance of Nolan Smith, who finished with a game-high 22 points while adding five assists. They also got a huge lift from reserve big man Jusuf Nurkic who contributed 16 points and nine boards.

Buducnost did not get much production from their starters. Nikola Ivanovic was the only one to score in double digits with 14 points. Aleksandar Capin was the team’s leading scorer with 15 points.

Cibona at 16-8 is sitting in third place, while Partizan (15-8) is still in contention to crack the last two spots in the Final Four. The loss sent Buducnost down with a 15-9 record and are currently in fifth place. It was a critical game for both teams.