MZT Skopje takes third straight Prva Liga

MZT Skopje travelled to Rabotnicki and picked up a 79-88 road success to win the Macedonian league with a 3-1 series win. The club is now celebrating winning the Prva Liga for the third consecutive season after an impressive and nearly unbeaten domestic campaign. After finishing the regular season with an unblemished 10-0 record, Skopje raced through the play-offs and only slipped once to Rabotnicki in Game 2 of this finals series.

Rabotnicki vs. MZT Skopje, 79-88
The visitors made use of plenty of free throw opportunities to shoot 76% from the charity strip, a haul that was good for 19 points. However, it was a slick attacking display that brought the title to MZT Skopje for another season, with the players looking well organized in the paint and dishing up 22 assists. The away team signalled its intentions to kill the series in Game 4 by dictating the opening period and leading 20-28 after a high scoring 10 minutes. In the second period Rabotnicki responded with the series on the line by notching 19 points, but MZT stayed in touch with 18 to put the score at 39-46 on halftime. In the third quarter the hosts threw caution to the wind and sent home 22 points while holding Skopje to 15, tying the game at 61 apiece after 30 minutes. The fourth stanza should have been tense, but the visitors poured in 27 points to ease any last minute nerves, and as Rabotnicki could not keep pace the title was decided.

Gjorgi Cekovski was in fine touch for MZT Skopje and logged 21 points and 8 boards on the night. Cekovsk was followed by Stefan Sinovec with 12 points and 11 assists in a solid double-double performance.

Goran Ikonic and William Coleman took 17 apiece in the losing effort, while Darko Sokolov tabbed 16 points and 7 rebounds.