May 25, 2013
Regular Season Game 1 - October 23, 2008 CET: 20:45 Local time: 20:45 - PALAU OLÍMPIC DE BADALONA
DKV Joventut 81 - 64 Union Olimpija

Records

Ave.   Ave.
0-0 Final Four 0-0
0-0 Playoffs 0-0
0-0 Top 16 0-0
0-0 Regular Season 0-0
0-0 Overall 0-0

Referees

Crew Chief
MOUZAKIS, COSTAS, Greece
Referee
JOVCIC, MILIVOJE, Serbia
Umpire
ROCHA, FERNANDO, Portugal

Team Stats

Ave.   Ave.
0 Points 0
0 Rebounds 0
0 O. Rebounds 0
0 D. Rebounds 0
0 Assists 0
0 Steals 0
0 Blocks 0
0 Turnovers 0
0 2PT 0
0 3PT 0
0 FT 0
0 Index 0
Team Stats - DKV Joventut
Team Stats - Union Olimpija

Player Stats

Ave.   Ave.
0 Points 0
0 Rebounds 0
0 OR 0
0 DR 0
0 Assists 0
0 Steals 0
0 Blocks 0
0 Turnovers 0
0 2PT 0
0 3PT 0
0 FT 0
0 Index 0
Team Roster - DKV Joventut
Team Roster - Union Olimpija

THE TAKE

The reigning ULEB Cup champion opens the 2008-09 Euroleague season at home, as DKV Joventut welcomes Slovenian powerhouse Union Olimpija on Thursday at 20:45 CET. Both teams already faced each other in the 2006-07 Euroleague season - which also was Joventut's first appearance in Europe's top competition in 15 years - and Olimpija registered a 82-86 win in Badalona. Joventut will be without superstar guard Ricky Rubio, out with a severe hand injury. Without Rubio around, expect playmaker Demond Mallet and combo guard Pau Ribas to play a major role in the beginning of the season. Mallet is the only pure playmaker in the team, so expect Olimpija to put pressure on him. Vlado Ilievski, back in Ljubljana this season, will try to attack Mallet with his outstanding driving skills while Jonathan Wallace is set to provide court sense and a high game rhythm. Olimpija has proven scorers in Tyler Crawford and Saso Ozbolt, back in shape after several years battling with injuries. Both players will have also the tough mission to slow Bracey Wright, the top gun in Joventut's backcourt this season. Wright is able to create his own shot and slowing him will be one of the biggest key to the game for Olimpija. Joventut is also deep a small forward with Simas Jasaitis, Luka Bogdanovic and Ferran Laviñam who has underwent physical problems lately. Jasaitis, in his fourth Euroleague team in as many years, will have an interesting matchup against experienced forward Jasmin Hukic, who is ready to provide unlimited range and intensity at both ends. Damjan Rudez is set to make his Euroleague debut as one of the best young players in the continent. The battle in the paint will be the biggest key to the game, as both teams have deep frontcourt ready to battle each other. Pops Mensah-Bonsu has been unstoppable in the beginning of the season, pleasing all Joventut fans with his athleticism and outstanding dunks. Olimpija has its heart and soul in Marko Milic, ready to offer determination, intensity, power and experience. Milic will have plenty of help around, as Mirza Begic is expected to provide extra help with a Euroleague year of experience on his back, while Vladimir Golubovic is ready to show he belongs to this level. Joventut has shot blocking ace Edu Hernandez-Sonseca, a mobile big man with soft touch, just as power forward Jan Jagla. Henk Norel rounds the Joventut frontcourt providing size and talent off the bench, just as Dejan Radojevic does for Olimpija. If Joventut plays its brand of basketball - pressure, high game rhythm and showtime - it is the favourite to win the game. Olimpija will have a chance if it gets Milic and Hukic involved while getting Mallet into foul trouble. Expect nothing but a top-quality game in Badalona.

GAME NOTES

DKV Joventut
  • Simas Jasaitis enters the season needing only 3 more three-pointers to reach 100 for his Euroleague Basketball career.
Union Olimpija
  • Team captain Marko Milic is the only active player in the Euroleague this season to have scored in double figures in the first-ever Euroleague Basketball game. Milic scored 10 points for Real Madrid in a 75-73 win over Olympiacos on October 16, 2000.
  • As many as seven players – Vladimir Golubovic, Jaka Klobucar, Dejan Radonevic, Damian Rudez, Mirza Sarajlija, Matic Sirnik and Jonathan Wallace – could make their Euroleague debut in Week 1 at DKV Joventut.
  • Saso Ozbolt has played in only two Euroleague games in the past three seasons because of knee injuries.
  • The best individual performance in team captain Marko Milic’s impressive Euroleague career came against his Week 1 opponent, DKV Joventut, in December 2006. Milic recorded 24 points and 15 rebounds – both career-highs – in just 30 minutes of a narrow home loss.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Euroleague.net

Quotes Head Coaches

ALONSO, SITO
DKV Joventut
"Tomorrow's game will be difficult because we will be playing against a young, dynamic team formed by good players. I think that the fact that a midweek game comes now maight be a little too early. We have to take the challenge but looking for constant improvement in our play. Let's see if we are capable of competing at a good level. Of course, Ricky will be out but Pau Ribas and Edu Hernandez-Sonseca have been recovering and both will be ready to play. In Olimpija, apart from Ilievski's and Milic's experience, they have many players who can play in several positions, even power forwards with good long-range shots. For our big guys that can be complicated but we will try that that fact hurts us as little as possible."
DZIKIC, ALEKSANDAR
Union Olimpija
"We are really excited about the start of the Euroleague. We have been working hard for two months now and now it is the time to see where we really are. I think Joventut is undoubtedly the favorite in this game, but we are not going to Badalona with the white flag. We are aware that we will have to be aggressive and do our best. We can only make it with this philosophy. We have some injury problems, Hukic will not play for sure while Klobucar might be able to play, but he has not been practicing with us lately, so I don't see a solid chance for him to play."

Players

HERNANDEZ-SONSECA, EDU
DKV Joventut
"I keep improving day by day. I feel well and I am practicing with the team to get my rhythm back. The Euroleague is an attractive competition, there are players who came here to play it. For the players that were here last year, this is a reward for us. A reward that we earned so we look forward to start our participation in it and reach as far as possible. I think Olimpija is a dangerous team. Probably they are not known as one of the big European teams but they have players like Ilievski, who played in Italy and Spain and Marko Milic, who also played in the NBA and is a very physical player with lots of quality. They also feature young players that will be important in the future, so we have to be careful."
MILIC, MARKO
Union Olimpija
"The preseason finishes now finally with the start of the real thing. We worked well but along the way there were a couple of unfortunate injuries which in Jasmin Hukic's case is pretty serious. But we have a young team with five talented players. I repeat, they are really talented players, not great players. Because of that, they still need some time and tough games to grow. That's why it is hard to say what we can do against Joventut. We can play real well and surprise them but at the same time we can play bad and go back to Ljubljana with the loss. I am only sure that we will do everything in our hands to have a good image on court."
Pops Mensah-Bonsu - DKV JoventutDKV Joventut marked its return to the Euroleague with a strong result by downing Union Olimpija 81-64 in Badalona, Spain, on Thursday. The hosts dominated the second half and took advantage of the visitors’ 21 turnovers to record a big win in front of their fans. Pops Mensah-Bonsu paced the winners with 14 points and 9 rebounds, while Demond Mallet, Bracey Wright and Pau Ribas each had 11 for Joventut, which travels to the Italian capital to face Lottomatica Roma next. Mirza Begic had 17 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks for Olimpija, Vlado Ilievski added 15 and Marko Milic had 13 for the guests, who host Tau Ceramica in Week 2. Begic, Milic and a three-pointer by Ilievski allowed Olimpija to take an early 6-16 margin, but Henk Norel and Edu Hernandez-Sonseca brought Joventut within 17-18 after 10 minutes. Olimpija stayed in the game in the second quarter, as free throws by Milic tied it at 29-29, but 5 quick points by Jan Jagla gave Joventut a 34-31 edge at halftime. Mensah-Bonsu and Ribas took over in the third quarter and a three-pointer by Simas Jasaitis gave Joventut a 59-53 lead after 30 minutes. Joventut dominated as the fourth quarter began, using a 12-1 burst to boost its margin to 71-54 en route to a well-deserved win.

Mirza Begic - Union Olimpija Olimpija came out on fire as Begic used his big frame to get some good looks for the game’s first two scores and Damjan Rudez triple made it 0-7. Mensah-Bonsu finally got Joventut on the board from the free-throw line, but Begic again and then Ilievski made it 2-11. The lead hit double figures on an Ilievski triple before Joventut started to get its feet. Slams by Norel and Hernandez-Sonseca charged the crowd. Then a Ribas three-point play cut even further into the deficit before another Hernandez-Sonseca slam and a Norel basket capped an 11-2 run that saw Joventut creep back to within 17-18 after 10 minutes.

Mallet drilled a three to open the second period and give Joventut its first lead. Begic tied the game inside and then traded baskets with Mensah-Bonsu. Jaka Klobucar and Begic gave the visitors a narrow lead only to see Joventut bounce back on a Mallet layup and a Pere Tomas three – the first points of his Euroleague career. Milic would tie the score at 29-29 from the line, but Jan Jagla hit another three and soon added free throws and Joventut would not trail again. Milic had another 2 free throws in him to make 34-31 at halftime.

Joventut stretched its lead as the third quarter got underway with a pair of Mensah-Bonsu free throws and a Tomas three-pointer to go ahead 39-31. Milic and Ilievski answered quickly though to keep Olimpija in the fight. A Rudez triple soon cut the gap to 41-38 and after a Mensah-Bonsu slam, Ilievski hit from downtown to make it a 2-point game. Mensah-Bonsu and Rudez traded scores before Wright was fouled shooting a three and proceeded to make all 3 free throws and give Joventut a little cushion. Ferran Lavina also came through from beyond the arc as the lead stretched to 51-44. Milic and Saso Ozbolt combined to cut the lead to 4 before Ribas and Ilievski swapped threes. With the period drawing to a close and after a botched Olimpija possession, Jasaitis beat the buzzer for a key three that made it 59-53 heading into the fourth quarter.

A Milic free throw opened the fourth-period scoring, but a Wright layup kept the hosts in control. The Olimpija offense ran into some turnover troubles and a Mallet triple punished them to make it 64-54. A timeout didn’t solve Olimpija’s scoring woes, while Wright attacked the basket for a basket and then dunked on the break to cap a 9-1 run and put Joventut up 14 midway through the final period. Ribas added another three that was like a dagger through the Olimpija hearts as the hosts put the game on cruise control, enjoying the closing minutes of a solid 81-64 win in front of their fans to open the Euroleague season.

Thursday, October 23, 2008
Euroleague.net
Referees: MOUZAKIS, COSTAS (GRE), JOVCIC, MILIVOJE (SRB), ROCHA, FERNANDO (POR)
Attendance: 3781
By Quarter1234
DKV Joventut17172522
Union Olimpija18132211
End of Quarter1234
DKV Joventut17345981
Union Olimpija18315364
Head coach: ALONSO, SITO
DKV Joventut
# Player Min Pts 2FG
M-A
 3FG
M-A
 FT
M-A
 Rebounds As St To Bl Fouls PIR
O D T Fv Ag Cm Rv
00 MALLET, DEMOND 29:00 11 1/2 3/6   1 1 2 7 2 2     2 2 16
4 RIBAS, PAU 20:29 11 1/2 2/3 3/4   1 1   1 1     2 3 10
6 WRIGHT, BRACEY 25:32 11 4/11 0/1 3/4   2 2 2   1     1 3 7
10 BOGDANOVIC, LUKA 7:13 2 1/2 0/1   1 2 3   1 1 1   1 1 4
13 JASAITIS, SIMAS 21:46 6 0/1 2/3     1 1 2 3           10
14 JAGLA, JAN-HENDRICK 15:02 5 0/2 1/2 2/2   1 1 1   2 3 1 3 1 2
15 EYENGA, CHRISTIAN DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
16 HERNANDEZ-SONSECA, EDU 21:27 6 3/7 0/1   3 1 4 1 2 1 2   3 1 7
17 NOREL, HENK 9:30 4 2/3     3 1 4           2 1 6
18 LAVIÑA, FERRAN 13:44 5 0/1 1/1 2/2   1 1 1   1 1   3 1 4
19 TOMAS, PERE 10:49 6 0/1 2/2         1 1       1 1 7
21 MENSAH-BONSU, POPS 25:28 14 5/14   4/4 6 3 9 2 1 2 3 3 4 4 15
Team           1 5 6   4           10
Totals 200:00 81 17/46 11/20 14/16 15 19 34 17 15 11 10 4 22 18 98
37% 55% 87.5%
Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating
Head coach: DZIKIC, ALEKSANDAR
Union Olimpija
# Player Min Pts 2FG
M-A
 3FG
M-A
 FT
M-A
 Rebounds As St To Bl Fouls PIR
O D T Fv Ag Cm Rv
5 WALLACE, JONATHAN 7:04           1 1     1     1   -1
6 ILIEVSKI, VLADO 35:41 15 3/6 3/8     2 2 1 2 3   1 3 1 6
8 KLOBUCAR, JAKA 28:22 5 1/4 0/2 3/5 1 6 7 2 1 5   1 2 7 7
9 RUDEZ, DAMJAN 22:17 8 1/1 2/5   2 4 6 1   1     2   9
12 MILIC, MARKO 27:12 13 3/6   7/10 2 2 4 2 1 1     2 7 18
15 BEGIC, MIRZA 25:48 17 8/9   1/3 4 3 7 2   1 4 1 2 3 26
16 SARAJLIJA, MIRZA DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
20 RADOJEVIC, DEJAN DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
21 GOLUBOVIC, VLADIMIR 8:17   0/2     1   1     1   1 2   -5
23 SIRNIK, MATIC DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
24 ZUPAN, MIHA 17:20 1 0/5 0/2 1/2 3 4 7   1 1   5 1 2 -4
31 OZBOLT, SASO 27:59 5 0/1 1/3 2/2 2 2 4 1 1 3   1 3 2 3
Team           3   3     4         -1
Totals 200:00 64 16/34 6/20 14/22 18 24 42 9 6 21 4 10 18 22 58
47.1% 30% 63.6%
This game is not yet played

Head Coaches

ALONSO, SITO
DKV Joventut
"We had a slow start in this game, especially in defense, just as it recently happened in the Spanish League. We were nervous in the beginning but stayed focused despite trailing in the opening minutes. We managed to stay in the game in the first half and play our best basketball after the break. We improved our defense and that allowed us to collect some steals. Milic hurt us at power forward, as his versatility is dangerous, especially because Olimpija has good outside shooters. I want to congratulate my players for the effort they put out there. I am sure we will improve in the near future."
DZIKIC, ALEKSANDAR
Union Olimpija
"I want to congratulate DKV Joventut because they never thought they would lose the game, and they created a good basketball atmosphere at home. We fought until the final minutes but we ran out of stamina in the fourth, when DKV was better than us. We made too many mistakes and that is something you cannot do if you want to win a Euroleague game. We managed to stay in the game against DKV in Badalona, but paid a high price for our mistakes. I am not satisfied with the way we played in the fourth quarter. We have a young, unexperienced team and Simas Jasaitis hurt us with his three-pointers. DKV Joventut plays well and I have to congratulate them for that. We will see what happens when they come to play against us in Ljubljana."

Players

LAVIÑA, FERRAN
DKV Joventut
"We kept playing hard until the end, without caring about our slow start. We never gave up and that allowes us to get a valuable win in our first Euroleague game. The key was our defense, especially in the second hald. Olimpija did a good work before the game and knew our weaknesses. It was hard to play against them in the beginning, even when we knew they have a good team and that it wouldn't be an easy game."
MILIC, MARKO
Union Olimpija
"DKV was the best team in the end, they play good basketball even when we stayed in the game for 30 minutes. Our lack of experience makes us committ some turnovers and we paid a high price for that. DKV is an aggressive team in defense that was the key to their win. I hope that we can keep learning in every game to add wins at home. We have a big room for improvement and must fight until the end."
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