Round 5 (Regular Season): Igokea lose their first game against Cluj Napoca

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The most crucial game of the last round was the first loss of Bosnian Igokea (3-1) on the court of first ranked Romanian Cluj Napoca on Saturday night. Visitors were rolled over by Cluj Napoca 106-84. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Igokea. It was a key game for the top position in the league. Cluj Napoca dominated down low during the game scoring 58 of its points in the paint compared to Igokea's 38. Cluj Napoca forced 23 Igokea turnovers. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Cluj Napoca made 7 blocks. 26 personal fouls committed by Igokea helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. American point guard Daron Russell (180-1998, college: Maryland) stepped up and scored 23 points and 4 assists for the winners and Panamanian guard Iverson Molinar (193-1999, college: MSU) chipped in 17 points and 4 assists. American guard Breein Tyree (188-1998, college: Ole Miss, agency: Octagon Europe) responded with 25 points. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Defending Romanian champion maintains first place with 2-2 record, which they share with Crvena zvezda and FMP BG. Defending Bosnian champion Igokea still keeps top position with one game lost. They share it with Cedevita Ol.. Cluj Napoca is looking forward to face league's leader Borac in Cacak in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Igokea will play at home against the league's second-placed Split and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Very significant was FMP BG's (#2) 83-74 road victory against leader Borac. It was a key game for the top position in the league. nailed 25 points and 5 rebounds for the winning side and Filip Rebraca accounted for 19 points and 7 rebounds (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field). FMP BG's coach allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Bosnian-Serbian forward Marko Josilo (200-1992, agency: Octagon Europe) came up with 19 points for Borac in the defeat. FMP BG (2-2) keeps a position of league leader, which they share with Crvena zvezda and Cluj Napoca. Borac lost third consecutive game. They still keep top place with three games lost. They share the position with 3 other teams. FMP BG will play against Krka (#3) in Novo Mesto in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Borac will play at home against the league's leader Cluj Napoca and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
A very close game took place in Sarajevo between Bosnian Bosna and Austrian BC Vienna. First ranked Bosna (1-3) got a very close home victory over their close opponent BC Vienna (2-3). Bosna managed to escape with a 3-point win 71-68 in the fight for the first place. It was a key game for the top position in the league. The best player for the winners was Miralem Halilovic who scored 6 points and 8 rebounds. Gregor Glas produced 23 points for the guests. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Bosna maintains first place with 1-3 record, which they share with 3 other teams. Vienna at the other side still keeps top position with three games lost. They share it with Mega BG and Derby. Bosna will meet league's second-placed Zadar on the road in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Vienna will play against the league's leader Cedevita Ol. in Ljubljana and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

There were no shocking results in the rest of the games of round 5: winless Krka lost to Derby on the opponent's court 75-85. Buducnost managed to outperform Zadar in a home game 98-87. Crvena zvezda lost to undefeated Spartak on the road 80-85. Mega BG crushed Ilirija on its own court 109-83. Partizan lost to undefeated Dubai in a road game 70-82.



Derby - Krka 85-75

The game between closely ranked teams ended with second-ranked Slovenian Krka's (0-5) road loss to first ranked Montenegrin Derby (2-3) 75-85 on Thursday. Derby outrebounded Krka 35-24 including 22 on the defensive glass. The best player for the winners was power forward Aleksa Ilic (204-1996) who had a double-double by scoring 12 points and 13 rebounds. Emir Hadzibegovic (204-1996) chipped in 19 points and 5 rebounds (on 7-of-8 shooting from the field). Four Derby players scored in double figures. American center Sukhmail Mathon (208-1998, college: Boston U.) produced 17 points and 9 rebounds and the other American import Victor Bailey Jr (193-1998, college: GMU) added 17 points respectively for the guests. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Derby maintains first place with 2-3 record, which they share with Vienna and Mega BG. Krka at the other side still closes the standings with five games lost. Derby will meet league's leader Dubai on the road in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Krka will play against the league's leader FMP BG and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Derby: E.Hadzibegovic 19+5reb+1ast, N.Pavlicevic 15+2reb+6ast, A.Ilic 12+13reb+2ast, V.Zoran 12+2reb, D.Johnson 7+2reb+3ast, J.Davis 5+3reb
Krka: V.Bailey Jr 17+4reb, S.Mathon 17+9reb+1ast, L.Urbiha 10+5reb+2ast, M.Ihring 7+4ast, J.Rebec 7+1reb+2ast, O.Urban 6+1reb

Cluj Napoca - Igokea 106-84

The most crucial game of the last round was the first loss of Bosnian Igokea (3-1) on the court of first ranked Romanian Cluj Napoca on Saturday night. Visitors were rolled over by Cluj Napoca 106-84. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Igokea. It was a key game for the top position in the league. Cluj Napoca dominated down low during the game scoring 58 of its points in the paint compared to Igokea's 38. Cluj Napoca forced 23 Igokea turnovers. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Cluj Napoca made 7 blocks. 26 personal fouls committed by Igokea helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. American point guard Daron Russell (180-1998, college: Maryland) stepped up and scored 23 points and 4 assists for the winners and Panamanian guard Iverson Molinar (193-1999, college: MSU) chipped in 17 points and 4 assists. American guard Breein Tyree (188-1998, college: Ole Miss, agency: Octagon Europe) responded with 25 points and Serbian power forward Strahinja Gavrilovic (204-1993, college: USC, agency: Octagon Europe) scored 13 points. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Defending Romanian champion maintains first place with 2-2 record, which they share with Crvena zvezda and FMP BG. Defending Bosnian champion Igokea still keeps top position with one game lost. They share it with Cedevita Ol.. Cluj Napoca is looking forward to face league's leader Borac in Cacak in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Igokea will play at home against the league's second-placed Split and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Cluj Napoca: D.Russell 23+2reb+4ast, I.Molinar 17+1reb+4ast, T.Woodbury 14+4reb+1ast, M.Creek 10+1reb+2ast, K.Guzman 9+3reb+3ast, P.Richard 9+1reb
Igokea: B.Tyree 25+3ast, S.Gavrilovic 13+3reb, N.Popovic 9+2reb, B.Simanic 9+1reb, D.Milosavljevic 7+3reb+3ast, N.Ceaser 7+8reb

Buducnost - Zadar 98-87

Rather predictable result in Podgorica where first ranked Montenegrin Buducnost (4-1) defeated 4th placed Croatian Zadar (1-4) 98-87 on Saturday. The best player for the winners was American forward Juwan Morgan (203-1997, college: Indiana) who scored 20 points. Nigerian-American Rasheed Sulaimon (194-1994, college: Maryland) chipped in 15 points and 5 rebounds. Buducnost's coach used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Lovro Mazalin (204-1997) produced 23 points (on 11-of-14 shooting from the field) and Montenegrin point guard Vladimir Mihailovic (193-1990) added 15 points respectively for the guests. Five Buducnost and four Zadar players scored in double figures. Buducnost have a solid series of four victories in a row. Defending Montenegrin champion maintains first place with 4-1 record, which they share with Partizan. Zadar lost fourth consecutive game. Defending Croatian champion dropped to the second position with four games lost. Buducnost will meet league's leader Crvena zvezda in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Zadar will play against the league's leader Bosna and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Buducnost: J.Morgan 20+2reb+3ast, R.Sulaimon 15+5reb+3ast, J.Boutsiele 14+6reb+1ast, Y.Ferrell 14+4ast, N.Tanaskovic 12+7reb, A.Bouteille 10+2reb+4ast
Zadar: L.Mazalin 23+3reb+3ast, B.Tisma 16+3reb+1ast, V.Mihailovic 15+3reb+3ast, M.Ramljak 13+4reb+2ast, B.Kapusta 7+1reb+7ast, K.Klarica 5+2reb+1ast

Bosna S. - Vienna 71-68

A very close game took place in Sarajevo between Bosnian Bosna and Austrian BC Vienna. First ranked Bosna (1-3) got a very close home victory over their close opponent BC Vienna (2-3). Bosna managed to escape with a 3-point win 71-68 in the fight for the first place. It was a key game for the top position in the league. Bosna made 25-of-32 free shots (78.1 percent) during the game. They also forced 22 Vienna turnovers. The best player for the winners was center Miralem Halilovic (205-1991) who scored 6 points and 8 rebounds. Estonian forward Janari Joesaar (198-1993, college: UTRGV) chipped in 11 points. Slovenian Gregor Glas (197-2001) produced 23 points and Serbian-Austrian guard Luka Asceric (202-1997) added 10 points respectively for the guests. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Bosna maintains first place with 1-3 record, which they share with 3 other teams. Vienna at the other side still keeps top position with three games lost. They share it with Mega BG and Derby. Bosna will meet league's second-placed Zadar on the road in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Vienna will play against the league's leader Cedevita Ol. in Ljubljana and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Bosna S.: J.Joesaar 11+4reb+1ast, P.Kovacevic 9+1reb, D.Salic 9+3reb+1ast, M.Young 9+2reb+1ast, C.Audige 8+1reb, E.Atic 7+7reb+1ast
Vienna: G.Glas 23+2reb+2ast, L.Asceric 10+3reb+3ast, D.Bajo 10+3reb, C.Tekele 9+2ast, S.Jarumbauskas 8+1reb+3ast, L.Runjic 6+2reb

Spartak - Crvena zvezda 85-80

There was a minor upset in Subotica where their close opponent Crvena zvezda (2-2) was defeated by leader Spartak (4-0) 85-80 on Sunday. Spartak made 20-of-22 free shots (90.9 percent) during the game. The best player for the winners was Montenegrin power forward Danilo Nikolic (206-1993) who scored 21 points and 7 rebounds (on 8-of-9 shooting from the field). Jamaican center Shevon Thompson (213-1993, college: GMU) chipped in 14 points and 9 rebounds. Four Spartak players scored in double figures. Brazilian point guard Yago Dos Santos (175-1999) produced 11 points and 8 assists and American guard Jared Butler (191-1999, college: Baylor) added 16 points respectively for the guests. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. Spartak have a solid series of four victories in a row. They maintain first place with 4-0 record which they share with defeated Crvena zvezda. Loser Crvena zvezda still keeps top position with two games lost. They share it with Cluj Napoca and FMP BG. Spartak will meet league's leader Ilirija in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Crvena zvezda will play against the league's leader Buducnost and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Spartak: D.Nikolic 21+7reb+1ast, O.Hanlan 16+1reb+4ast, S.Thompson 14+9reb+1ast, L.Cerovina 10+1reb+1ast, I.Drobnjak 8+3reb+1ast, N.Rebic 4+1reb+2ast
Crvena zvezda: J.Butler 16+1reb+1ast, Y.Dos Santos 11+1reb+8ast, S.Miljenovic 10+1reb, E.Izundu 10+6reb, D.Motiejunas 8+2reb+1ast, N.Kalinic 7+5reb+2ast

Mega BG - Ilirija 109-83

We could consider it a predictable result in the game between close teams in Beograd where third ranked Serbian Mega BG (2-3) outscored second-ranked Slovenian Ilirija (1-3) 109-83 on Friday. It was a key game for the top position in the league. Mega BG dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to Ilirija's 40. Mega BG looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. The best player for the winners was who scored 30 points and 7 rebounds. Italian center Luigi Suigo (218-2007) chipped in 13 points and 6 rebounds. Guard Luka Kures (192-1998) produced 17 points and Canadian center Simi Shittu (208-1999, college: Vanderbilt) added 11 points and 7 rebounds respectively for the guests. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Mega BG keeps a position of league leader, which they share with Vienna and Derby. Loser Ilirija still keeps top place with three games lost. They share the position with 3 other teams. Mega BG will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Ilirija will play against the league's leader Spartak and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Mega BG: M.Bogoljub 30+7reb+3ast, M.Vukcevic 14+4reb+1ast, L.Suigo 13+6reb+2ast, K.Urban 10+2reb+1ast, A.Djulovic 10+5reb+1ast, S.Drezgic 9+5reb+3ast
Ilirija: L.Kures 17+4reb+2ast, W.Green Jr. 15+2reb+2ast, M.Edo 11+2reb+1ast, S.Shittu 11+7reb+2ast, V.Tristan 7+3reb, T.Tim 7+9reb+3ast

Dubai - Partizan 82-70

Everything could happen at the game between two tied teams. Both leader UAE Dubai and second-ranked Serbian Partizan had identical 4-0 record. This time Dubai used a home court advantage and defeated the opponent from Beograd 82-70 on Monday night. It was a key game for the top position in the league. Dubai made 24-of-29 free shots (82.8 percent) during the game. The best player for the winners was Serbian power forward Filip Petrusev (211-2000, college: Gonzaga) who scored 18 points and 6 rebounds (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). American Dwayne Bacon (201-1995, college: FSU) chipped in 16 points. Greek-American point guard Nick Calathes (196-1989, college: Florida) produced 8 points and 8 assists and American Sterling Brown (197-1995, college: SMU) added 9 points respectively for the guests. Both coaches tested many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Dubai (5-0) have an impressive series of five victories in a row. They maintain first place with a perfect record of 5 victories in a row which they share with defeated Partizan. Defending Serbian champion Partizan still keeps top position with one game lost. They share it with Buducnost. Dubai will meet at home league's leader Derby in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Partizan will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Dubai: F.Petrusev 18+6reb+1ast, D.Bacon 16+4reb+3ast, K.Kondic 14+3reb+3ast, S.Sanli 9+2reb+3ast, K.Kamenjas 7+9reb+1ast, M.Wright IV 6+2reb+4ast
Partizan: J.Parker 10+3reb, S.Brown 9+3reb+3ast, B.Fernando 9+3reb+1ast, N.Calathes 8+3reb+8ast, I.Bonga 8+4reb+1ast, S.Milton 8+3reb+2ast

Borac CA - FMP BG 74-83

Very significant was FMP BG's (#2) 83-74 road victory against leader Borac. It was a key game for the top position in the league. Borac was plagued by 28 personal fouls down the stretch. nailed 25 points and 5 rebounds for the winning side and accounted for 19 points and 7 rebounds (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field). FMP BG's coach allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Bosnian-Serbian forward Marko Josilo (200-1992, agency: Octagon Europe) came up with 19 points and Nikola Manojlovic (201-2002, agency: Octagon Europe) added 14 points and 7 rebounds respectively for Borac in the defeat. FMP BG (2-2) keeps a position of league leader, which they share with Crvena zvezda and Cluj Napoca. Borac lost third consecutive game. They still keep top place with three games lost. They share the position with 3 other teams. FMP BG will play against Krka (#3) in Novo Mesto in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Borac will play at home against the league's leader Cluj Napoca and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
FMP BG: S.Lazar 25+5reb, R.Filip 19+7reb, C.Eugene 14+1reb, F.Barna 7+4reb+3ast, J.Ojiako 5+6reb, P.Grojic 5+1reb+1ast
Borac CA: M.Josilo 19+4reb, N.Manojlovic 14+7reb, P.Nikolic 10+1reb+2ast, D.Baldwin 9+2reb+2ast, S.Fundic 8+7reb, T.Olison 6+3reb