Cibona Luckily An Ably Won

Cibona basketball players achieved a highly important victory in the 13th round of Euroleague over the Spanish Juventut 77-74.

In the crowded Drazen Petrovic Home we witnessed one of the strangest victories of the home team in the last couple of years. Cibonians excellently opened the game and after three minutes were leading 13-3, and forced the guests to a first minute break.

Afterwards, we witness our champion’s first decline. Coach Drazen Anzulovic asked for a minute break and until the half-time we saw the best Cibona performance of the season. Aggressive in defence, precise in attack – Cibona had all this in the first half. The guests came a little bit uninterested because they insured the TOP 16, which Cibona took good use of. We had an advantage of 50-35 during the half-time.

The second half, as far as Cibona is concerned, had better never been played, and such a game brought them, for the first time in this season, a concert of whistles on the home court. In the first four minutes, Joventut does a series of 12-0, and they win the quarter with 25-9. The “Wolf’s” anguish continues in the final quarter. Rubio steals, Archibald scores and Cibona in the attack looks like a team which got together for the first time. When we already signed them off, they return like a phoenix. Not even great stupidities which they made two minutes before the end bothered them, because in the last minute tie line three point shots of Kusam and Warren bring them to the lead (75-73) in the last leg. Guest strike the first throw, and Andric defrauds a foul. The young Dubrovnik citizen is calm on the line and brings Cibona to +3. Paco Vasquez fouls before striking a three point shot, and has only two free throws 3 seconds before the end. He misses both, Andric jumps once again and great rejoicement can start. Kus was the best Cibona player with 23 points, while 16-year old Ricky Rubio was impressive with the guests.

Guest`s coach Aito Rennes: Cibona was more concentrated in the end, and we were not fast enough. Two three point shots decided and the hit free throws, because it is an unwritten rule that whoever scores the last three shots, wins. Probably the loss of concentration was caused by our placement in the TOP 16.

Cibona coach Drazen Anzulovic: What can I say? Thank you, above all, to the audience, they were a huge support.  This kind of game is won once in a hundred, we got lucky, but we also earned it. We have six victories which is above all our expectations. We brilliantly played the first half, and we lost our strength in the second. They overran us and scored easy points. The game did not work organisation-wise and it was visible. The energy consumption was great, which was felt best with Kus.

Cibona captain Davor Kus: The most important thing for us was to win because points are written. There were a lot of oscillations in our game, and we got a little bit lucky in the end. I feel well, physically and do not see a problem in my shape. I hope we will get through to TOP 16 because we earned it.