SuperSport Premier League: Zadar levels, final series move to Zagreb

Following the opening game, Zadar head coach Danijel Jusup surprised many by starting without a traditional point guard, with Mihailović as the only guard in the lineup. On the other side, Ivan Rudež went with the same starting five that featured in Game 1: Šiško, Palokaj, Serdarušić, Hepa, and Lončar.

After a three-pointer by Palokaj, Zadar responded with a 9–0 run, forcing Cibona to take an early timeout. Shortly afterward, Kapusta and Klarica entered the game for the home side, while Rudež turned to Čakarun and Roberson. Dominating the boards and benefiting from Cibona’s aggressive defense, which frequently sent them to the free-throw line, Zadar controlled the opening quarter. Their lead could have been even larger than 22–12 had Klarica’s buzzer-beating attempt from midcourt not rattled out.

Kapusta immediately extended the advantage with a three-pointer at the start of the second quarter, pushing Zadar’s lead to as many as 19 points (32–13). The hosts were expertly led by captain Marko Ramljak, who finished the first half as the team’s leading scorer and rebounder. Cibona, meanwhile, struggled to find any offensive spark. Four minutes in which the visitors scored exclusively from the free-throw line only slightly reduced the deficit, and the first half ended with Zadar comfortably ahead, 42–26.

The home side’s dominance continued in the third quarter. Once the lead surpassed the 20-point mark, Jusup was able to rest both Mihailović and Ramljak. Rudež searched for a winning combination and a possible route back into the game, but with the deficit continuing to grow, he opted to give more minutes to a younger lineup.

A brief spark from Radovčić and Roberson hinted at a comeback, but Mihailović answered with two three-pointers and Tišma added a layup to restore a 21-point advantage (71–50). With five minutes remaining, the outcome was effectively decided. Even Mihailović’s second unsportsmanlike foul, which resulted in his ejection, had no impact on the final result.

Mihailović led all Zadar scorers with 18 points. Mazalin and Mekić added 12 points apiece, while Palokaj, with 10 points, was the only Cibona player to reach double figures.

Game 3 is scheduled on Friday at Dražen Petrović Basketball hall, with tip-off set for 8:00 P.M.

Ivan Rudež, Cibona head coach: "Congratulations to Zadar on the win. They played better, more purposefully, more intelligently, and moved the ball much more effectively. They held us to a miserable 28 percent shooting on two-point attempts. We were unable to finish either inside or outside the paint. Mentally, I don't think we were able to match Zadar’s intensity. The more we play against them, the closer I believe we will get to that level. The series is now tied, and we return to Zagreb. Our first objective is to defend our home court in three days. We will continue taking things one game at a time and look at what we can do better to execute our game plan. Today we failed to do that because of mental mistakes and a complete lack of concentration. Game 3 will reveal something new about both Zadar and ourselves. Today it was clear that Žganec and Ramljak came out with a winner’s mentality and took control early. Once Zadar built its lead, we kept searching for a rhythm and never found it. I think there was a mental drop-off on our part. Zadar was not poor in the first game either, but some of their players did not have their best day and the game came down to a single possession. If Mihailović’s three-pointer at the buzzer had gone in, would we be talking about Zadar playing badly? We would not. We would be talking about Zadar showing character and finding a way to win the opener. This time, not only did Mihailović have another excellent game, but several other players stepped up and played extremely well. We need to focus more on ourselves and improve. I still believe we have made significant progress compared to our first game against Zadar this season, and one bad game does not change the fact that we have improved a great deal".

Vigo Bart, Cibona player: "From our side, it was the complete opposite of the first game. We entered the game too relaxed and lacked intensity. Zadar took advantage of that from the opening minutes and maintained the lead throughout the entire game. We need to regroup because we now have two home games ahead of us, and we are hoping for the best possible outcome".

Statistics are available HERE.