ABA Liga Playoffs Preview

The ABA Liga playoffs are set and fans are in for some exciting basketball in the coming days. On March 23rd four of the best teams in the Adriatic region will take to the court in two best-of-three series to determine the finalists for 2018-19.

The regular season ended this weekend after 22 rounds and Crvena Zvezda ended as the top team with an impressive 21-1 record. The will face off against fourth seed and Eternal Derby rivals, BC Partizan (14-8) in the semifinals. Expect Belgrade to be buzzing with anticipation until these two teams finally lock horns in what should be an epic three-game series.

Red Star are favored to advance as they’ve defeated Partizan in each of their encounters in the regular season. That said, once both teams get into “playoff mode,” surprises will of course not be out of the question. Joe Ragland and his playmaking abilities will be something to watch on the side of Crvena Zvezda. The team’s no-nonsense approach to solid team defense as well as unselfish ball movement will be put to the test vs. Partizan’s slightly more aggressive approach.

Cedevita Zagreb ended the regular season as the second seed. They wound up with a 16-6 record, the same as Buducnost, their matchup for the playoffs. This will be an interesting series between two clubs. In the end, this might come down to 3-point shooting and who can get their shots to fall. Cedevita’s high-volume, high-scoring style should be some good basketball to watch. Buducnost will likely go to the post and assert their advantage there. At the end of the day, the team that wants it more should come away victorious and advance.