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Against Zadar for victory and retaining second place
After beating Split and gaining a point in the fight for second place, Cibona has three more matches to play before the end of the regular season of the SuperSport Premier League. First up is Zadar in the opening match of round 31, which comes to Zagreb to mathematically confirm its place in the top flight before the start of the quarterfinals
Cibona is second with a 22–8 record and 52 points. On the other hand, Zadar leads the standings at 26–3 with 55 points and a game in hand (they still have to make up a match against Samobor). In addition, they are close to securing a place in the ABA League play-in zone, where they have already ensured their top-flight status for next season, and only one game remains in the play-out (an away game against Studentski centar).
Cibona and Zadar have met twice this season, and on both occasions the league leaders and defending champions came out on top. The most recent clash was played on December 22 last year in Zadar and ended 88–68. Before that, on September 27, also last year in Zagreb, the score was 86–78.
“We’re facing a three-time champion that currently sits at the top of the league. That alone is enough of an invitation for the arena to be full. With Roberson returning, Čakarun will miss this derby due to injury. We need top-level toughness, smart defense, and a good shooting percentage from both inside and outside if we want to achieve the desired victory”, announced Cibona head coach Ivan Rudež.
The game will be played tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Dražen Petrović Basketball Hall, which also marks a return home after more than a month away (the last home game for Cibona was on March 18 against Dinamo). Live coverage will be broadcast on MAXSport television.
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