KK Djuro Djakovic defeated BC Levski and kept its chances for Top 6 alive

KK Djuro Djakovic kept alive its chances for advancing to Top 6 of EUROHOLD Balkan League. The team from Slavonski Brod defeated BC Levski (Sofia, BUL) 82-71 at home in the first game of the new year in the competition. Thanks to this victory Djuro Djakovic how has 3 wins and 4 losses and will decide its fate in the last game at home against KK Kumanovo 2009 in seven days time. In order to progress to Top 6 the team from Slavonski Brod needs to win the match by at least 16 points. If the fail to do so Kumanovo will advance while Djuro Djakovic will play in the last 4. In the same time Levski will play away at BC Galil Gilboa to decide the first place in group A. Both teams have 5 wins and 2 losses so far and the match next week between them will decide the winner of this group.
The game started slow as both teams didn′t score much and Levski had the early lead. However it wasn′t big and the hosts also had their share of advantage in the first quarter. They exchanged it later but at one moment Djuro Djakovic scored 5 straight points and from then on never were behind during the game. The broke a 15-15 tie and were up 20-18 after ten minutes.
The hosts started well the second quarter and with a 5-0 run took a 7-point lead. Levski managed to cut the deficit to a singled points but Djuro Djakovic answered with 9 straight points and went up by 10. They held on the lead and after the first half were up 40-30.
After the break the hosts managed to pull up by 14 points and didn′t have any problems to hold on to their lead. They had a good advantage for most of the time but allowed Levski to finish the third quarter on an 8-0 run. That restored the chances for the visitors as Djuro Djakovic led by just 4 points, 56-52 after 30 minutes.
That run didn′t scare the hosts as their lead was never threathened. The team from Slavonski Brod played better in the deciding minutes and inscreased its lead early. The hosts managed to keep its opponent away until the end and took an important victory.
Marino Sarlija was the top scorer for the winners with 21 points. Very good game had Hrvoje Puljko with 16 points and 10 assists while Marko Batina had 15 points.
For the visitors Chavdar Kostov finished with 20 points. Marko Marinovic added 17 but those two players were the ones that reached 10 or more points for Levski.

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FULL STATS FROM THE GAME KK DJURO DJAKOVIC - BC LEVSKI