June 20, 2013
Regular Season Game 5 - November 26, 2008 CET: 18:30 Local time: 18:30 - BASKETBALL CENTER DRAZEN PETROVIC
Cibona 82 - 79 Air Avellino

Records

Ave.   Ave.
0-0 Final Four 0-0
0-0 Playoffs 0-0
0-0 Top 16 0-0
3-1 Regular Season 2-2
3-1 Overall 2-2

Referees

Crew Chief
ZAVLANOS, NIKOLAOS, Greece
Referee
BULTO, VICENTE, Spain
Umpire
SHULGA, BORIS, Ukraine

Team Stats

Ave.   Ave.
72.8 Points 75.5
28.5 Rebounds 32.3
7.5 O. Rebounds 11.5
21.0 D. Rebounds 20.8
9.3 Assists 11.5
7.8 Steals 10.3
3.5 Blocks 1.0
16.0 Turnovers 12.3
54.0 % 2PT 49.0 %
35.9 % 3PT 34.0 %
82.6 % FT 73.8 %
71.8 Index 71.5
Team Stats - Cibona
Team Stats - Air Avellino

Player Stats

Ave.   Ave.
17.8 / MARSHALL, RAWLE Points 18.8 / WARREN, CHRIS
4.8 / MARSHALL, RAWLE Rebounds 6.5 / WILLIAMS, ERIC
1.5 / HOMAN, JARED OR 3.5 / WILLIAMS, ERIC
4.0 / MARSHALL, RAWLE DR 3.8 / WARREN, CHRIS
3.0 / Calloway Assists 4.3 / BEST, TRAVIS
2.0 / Calloway Steals 1.8 / SLAY, TAMAR
2.0 / HOMAN, JARED Blocks 0.3 / SLAY, TAMAR
3.8 / Calloway Turnovers 2.5 / SLAY, TAMAR
100.0 % / TROHA, ROBERT 2PT 75.0 % / RADULOVIC, NIKOLA
51.9 % / MARSHALL, RAWLE 3PT 43.8 % / D. Diener
100.0 % / PRINC, VEDRAN FT 100.0 % / D. Diener
18.3 / MARSHALL, RAWLE Index 18.0 / WARREN, CHRIS
Team Roster - Cibona
Team Roster - Air Avellino

THE TAKE

Cibona will look to bounce back from its first loss when it hosts suddenly red-hot Air Avellino on Wednesday at the Drazen Petrovic Basketball Center in Zagreb, Croatia. Cibona started the season on fire and won its first three games before going down two weeks ago at Unicaja. Still the Cibona shares the Group A lead with a 3-1 record. Meanwhile Air Avellino worked out the early season jitters to win its last two games and improve to 2-2. But head coach Zare Markovski’s men are still looking for their first road win. The game will surely be an interesting one due to the return of Chris Warren, Avellino’s top player, to Cibona, where he spent the last three seasons. Warren has stepped right in as the most important player for his new team and he ranks second in the Euroleague in scoring and is second on Avellino in both rebounds and assists. He will see many familiar faces at the other end of the floor trying to stop him this week, but he may not recognize too many of them in the backcourt. Alongside his old teammate Davor Kus, Cibona will roll out the likes of newcomers Rawle Marshall, Earl Calloway and Robert Troha to try and stop Warren. The attention on Warren could free up playmaker Travis Best and sharpshooter Drake Diener to create points for the visitors. The Avellino frontcourt has steadily improved over the course of the season, with Tamar Slay and Marko Tusek and working well at forward and Eric Williams and Nikola Radulovic doing the job in the paint. For Cibona, Niksa Prkacin, Jared Homan and Luksa Andric have produced well inside, while forwards Vedran Vukusic and Marin Rozic round out the frontcourt. Among head coach Velimir Perasovic’s troops’ weaknesses have been compiling assists and offensive rebounds and they will need to be extremely efficient with the ball to have a chance at winning if they don’t improve in those areas. With all eyes on Warren, it will be interesting to see if the welcome he receives takes him out of focus, or if the return to his former home causes him to be extra motivated. If his former teammates have the recipe to slow him down, Cibona becomes the clear favorite to win, but if Warren’s familiarity with the hoops in Zagreb leads to a big game, Avellino could get its first road win.

GAME QUOTES

Cibona
  • Veteran point guard Davor Kus enters this week’s game needing just 14 more points to reach 1,000 for his Euroleague Basketball career.
  • Center Niksa Prkacin was held scoreless in a game that he started for the first time in his Euroleague career in the club’s last game two weeks ago against Unicaja. It was the 68th time he appeared in his team’s starting five in the Euroleague. Prkacin has played in 133 games in his Euroleague career with three different teams.
  • Swingman Rawle Marshall leads the Euroleague with 14 three-pointers made this season. He has also accounted for half of his team’s triples so far.
Air Avellino
  • Swingman Chris Warren returns to his old stomping ground this week. Warren spent the last three seasons with Cibona and was the team’s top scorer in the Euroleague in each of the past two seasons. Overall he played 34 Euroleague games with Cibona and helped the club win two Croatian championships.
  • Big man Nikola Radulovic, was born in Zagreb, where he will play this week against Cibona. Radulovic also spent half a season playing for Cibona early in his career.
  • Forward Marko Tusek has made at least 1 three-pointer in his last seven Euroleague games dating back to April 2007.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Euroleague.net

Quotes Head Coaches

PERASOVIC, VELIMIR
Cibona
"This is the most important game for us so far, because we are playing against our direct opponent for advancing to the Top 16. They may not have such a big name as Maccabi or Olympiacos, but they are a high quality team with lots of great individuals, so they can beat anyone. I can just mention Best, our former player Warren or great shooter Diener. I think Chris Warren will be extra motivated for his comeback to Zagreb and we have to be really strong and concentrated."
MARKOVSKI, ZARE
Air Avellino
"It will be a very tough game. We are playing against a very good team. Cibona at home has beaten Maccabi Tel Aviv and Olympiacos Piraeus. Cibona Zagreb is a team that knows the Euroleague very well and has experienced players on its roster. We know our possibility and our skills. We are able to win the game, but to do it we should play hard defense and have the right mentality. In my opinion, Avellino has a good chance, if Air won in Zagreb, we would get to the Top 16."

Players

PRINC, VEDRAN
Cibona
"We have our momentum going on, and a great opportunity to make a big step forward in the Euroleague. We just have to stay focused, and continue to play defense and good things are going to keep happening. I hope that our fans will be our sixth player once again."
WARREN, CHRIS
Air Avellino
"I think is an important game for both teams. This match is like a playoff. For me it will be a special moment. I spent last three seasons in Zagreb and I know very well their arena and their fans. I can say that will be a difficult game. To compete with our opponents, we should control the rhythm, play good basketball and hard defense. Moreover, we should make use of their mistakes. This way, Air Avellino could hope to win the game."
Davor Kus, Cibona ZagrebNikola Prkacin scored 4of his 8 points in the final minute of overtime to give Cibona a hard-fought 82-79 victory at home over Air Avellino. Cibona blew a 10-point lead in the last five minutes of regulation, but won the game in the extra session. Avellino’s Tamar Slay made 2 foul shots with 30 seconds left to force overtime, but Travis Best could not nail a late triple which could have sent the game to another overtime. Davor Kus scored 23 points for Cibona, which improved to 4-1 atop Group A. Prkacin added 5 rebounds and 4 assists while Earl Calloway poured in 14 points. Vedran Vukusic scored 6 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a winning effort. Cibona next faces Maccabi Electra in Tel Aviv. Avellino dropped to 2-3 in the group despite 20 points from former Cibona star Chris Warren. Best added 11 points while Eric Williams chipped in 12 points and 6 rebounds.

Marin Rozic opened the game with two foul shots for the guests before both teams struggled to handle the ball which a series of turnovers. Slay knocked down a three-pointer for Avellino’s first score and Warren’s layup made it 2-5. After another Warren layup, Rozic drained a triple to knot the game at 9-9. Warren continued his fine first quarter with a three-ball to open a 10-14 lead and Williams’s foul shot gave the visitors a 12-17 advantage. But Kus converted a three-point play and Vukusic nailed a long ball as Cibona closed the first quarter on a 7-0 run for a 19-17 lead.

Chris Warren - Air AvellinoMario Tusek gave Avellino back the lead to start the second with a triple and Warren’s next long ball made it 19-23. Cibona surged back again, however, with Rawle Marshall hitting 4 straight points and Luksa Andric’s basket completing a 9-2 run for a 28-25 Cibona cushion. Tusek hit another three-pointer to knot the game and Drake Diener made a three as well, but Prkacin’s basket left Cibona ahead 33-31 at the break.

Cibona started the better team out of the locker room with Kus knocking down a triple and Rosic making it 38-31. Avellino trailed 40-33, but Antonio Porta drained a three-ball. Calloway answered right back to make it 43-36. But Warren sandwiched three-balls around a Williams basket for a 0-8 run to push Avellino back ahead 43-44. Calloway reestablished the Cibona lead and Robert Troha hit again as the lead grew back to 47-44. But the sea-saw affair continued with Nikola Radulovic’s long ball giving the visitors the lead one more. Jared Homan evened the score before Calloway converted a Best turnover into a three-pointer and then stole the ball from Best again and laid it in for a 54-49 advantage, which Radulovic cut to 54-51 after three periods.

Andrea Crosariol dunked to start the fourth before Troha’s triple. Avellino missed two long balls and Marshall hit to make it 59-53. After Warren’s three was off target, Kus nailed a long ball and the lead suddenly was 64-55. Warren threw down a dunk on the other end but Homan converted a three-point play and Cibona had its first 10-point lead – 67-57 – with five minutes left. Williams made three foul shots and Cibona turned the ball over, allowing Williams to bring Avellino to within 67-62 on a layup. Kus was the beneficiary of an offensive rebound and made it 69-62. Best made two foul shots and then a layup as the deficit was down to 70-64. Cibona turned the ball over again and an inside lay-in by Williams cut it to 70-68 inside the final two minutes. Prkacin missed an inside layup and Slay knocked down 2 foul shots – stepping in for the injured Diener – to even the game at 70-70 with 30 seconds left. Marshall missed a three and Rozic’s jumper was off at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.

Kus’s lay-up started the extra session and then Homan made it 74-70 following a Porta turnover. Best converted a three-point play, but Slay turned the ball over after Avellino twice had grabbed offensive rebounds. Kus then made a layup to make it 77-73. Best cut the deficit to 2 with a layup and then Diener made 2 foul shots to knot the game again at 77-77 with just over a minute left. Prkacin scored on a layup for the hosts, but Williams was unable to hit at the other end and Prkacin was fouled and made both foul shots to make it 81-77. Diener made 2 free throws at his end and Calloway made just 1 foul shot to make it 82-79 and give Avellino a chance to force another overtime. But Best missed a three-pointer and Diener turned the ball over to end the game.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Euroleague.net
Referees: ZAVLANOS, NIKOLAOS (GRE), BULTO, VICENTE (ESP), SHULGA, BORIS (UKR)
Attendance: 5000
By Quarter1234Extra 1
Cibona1914211612
Air Avellino171420199
End of Quarter1234Extra 1
Cibona1933547082
Air Avellino1731517079
Head coach: PERASOVIC, VELIMIR
Cibona
# 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
4 HOMAN, JARED 22:11 9 4/6   1/1 1 5 6 1   3     2 2 11
5 KUS, DAVOR 32:04 23 5/7 2/7 7/9 1   1 2   1     4 7 19
7 LONGIN, BRANIMIR DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
8 PRKACIN, NIKOLA 22:49 8 2/6 0/1 4/6   5 5 4   1     2 3 10
9 TROHA, ROBERT 19:18 7 2/3 1/1             1   1 1   3
11 VUKUSIC, VEDRAN 34:01 6 1/3 1/3 1/2 5 6 11   1 1     3 3 12
12 ANDRIC, LUKSA 10:59 2 1/2       2 2           1 1 3
13 CALLOWAY, EARL 30:52 14 3/7 2/7 2/4 2 1 3 1 2 1     1 3 10
15 ZUBCIC, TOMISLAV DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
19 PRINC, VEDRAN 4:30               1         1    
20 ROZIC, MARIN 20:52 7 1/3 1/4 2/2 3 1 4   2 2     1 2 7
23 MARSHALL, RAWLE 27:24 6 2/7 0/3 2/2 1 2 3 1 1 1 1 1 3 1  
Team           3   3               3
Totals 225:00 82 21/44 7/26 19/26 16 22 38 10 6 11 1 2 19 22 78
47.7% 26.9% 73.1%
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: MARKOVSKI, ZARE
Air Avellino
# 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
4 WARREN, CHRIS 32:55 20 3/8 4/7 2/2   4 4 3   1   1 3 4 18
5 RADULOVIC, NIKOLA 15:47 5 1/1 1/2             1     3    
6 PORTA, ANTONIO 14:40 3   1/3           1 2     2 1 -1
8 BEST, TRAVIS 30:20 11 4/7 0/4 3/3 2 3 5 4   3     3 3 10
10 CINCIARINI, DANIELE DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
11 CROSARIOL, ANDREA 14:52 4 2/3       1 1     1 1   3 1 2
12 LISICKY, PETER DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
15 SLAY, TAMAR 33:24 9 2/5 1/5 2/2   6 6 2 1 3     3 1 6
17 TUSEK, MARKO 29:13 6 0/1 2/7   3 3 6 1 1 3         5
20 WILLIAMS, ERIC 30:08 12 4/5   4/6 2 4 6     2     3 4 14
21 DIENER, DRAKE 23:41 9 1/1 1/2 4/4 2 2 4 1 1 1 1   2 5 17
30 NARDI, MIKE DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Team           1 1 2               2
Totals 225:00 79 17/31 10/30 15/17 10 24 34 11 4 17 2 1 22 19 73
54.8% 33.3% 88.2%
This game is not yet played

Head Coaches

PERASOVIC, VELIMIR
Cibona
"It was an extremely difficult game to play and also to watch. We missed a lot of shots that we usually make at home in the first half, so we could not manage to build a lead. We had enough concentration to play good defense, though. At the end, we had couple of chances to end this game earlier than it eventually took us. This is an important win. It was the first Euroleague game we had to win. Avellino is a tough team and they are capable of winning three more games, which means we need to win two more to be sure to go to Top 16. It is a difficult group, and you have to be at your best in every game if you want a chance to win."
MARKOVSKI, ZARE
Air Avellino
"We played the way we wanted to. We shot a better percentage from the field and from the free-throw line, but did not manage to match Cibona's intensity on the offensive and defensive glass. Due to that and our turnovers, Cibona had a lot more possessions, and that determined the winner of this game. We had shorter rotations because of some health issues of our players, and Cibona had more rested players for a 45-minute game. This is a very important victory for them, and it would have been very important for us too."

Players

CALLOWAY, EARL
Cibona
"Avellino is a tough team. We were able to pull it off in the end, we played well, but my hat is off to them. We had a 10-point lead, let it slip away a little bit but gained focus to win the game. The main thing is we won."
BEST, TRAVIS
Air Avellino
"Cibona is a strong team, it was a hard-fought battle and they made enough plays to win the game. People now know we are a serious Euroleague team. I heard in a paper here in Zagreb that they were not giving us much of a chance, but we let everyone know we can play. We had three guys with some physical problems. We know we are a Top 16 contender, but is up to other people to realize that."
DIENER, DRAKE
Air Avellino
"This is a difficult road loss in overtime. We feel that we should have won the game. Cibona played tougher than we did. They had more offensive rebounds, we turned the ball over and they did not. They played harder and smarter than we did, and that is how you lose games even when you have a better shooting percentage. But they made up for the missed open shots by rebounding and not turning over the ball. I passed the ball to Eric Williams on the possession to put the game in second overtime. If I had to do it again, I would have done it again. Eric made a lot of big plays for us, and that one just did not fall for him."
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