Crvena Zvezda takes streak to 20-0 in ABA League
The ABA League scheduled the best for last in Round 20 of their 2016-17 regular season. The league-leading Serbian powerhouse Crvena Zvezda MtS Beograd captured their 20th-straight victory via a solid home defense against the visiting Montenegrin team KK Mornar Basket Bar, 82-71.
Their amazing run is only matched by the story of how a bold system, a coach and ownership with a vision, has allowed the organization to grow into the regional basketball Titan it is today.
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Red Star is head and shoulders above their competition in the Adriatic (ABA League). The closest team to them in the standings at this stage is their arch-rivals from Serbia, BC Partizan (15-5). Partizan fell to KK Buducnost (14-6) a few days back, 74-68, in a crucial game between two Top 4 teams in the league. Buducnost and KK Cedevita Zagreb of Croatia share 14-6 records and round out the league’s Top 4.
Mornar Bar surprised their hosts with an aggressive attack in the first quarter and ended it with a commanding 9-23 lead. The 14-point margin would not be enough of a buffer. Undaunted, the undefeated Serbian club was more than up to the task of mounting a comeback.
True to form, Crvena Zvezda used their tenacious defense and unselfish play to put up a well-rounded team effort for the win. Marko Simonovic led the team in scoring with 15 points, getting most of his points from the charity stripe (10-of-12). As a team, Red Star was on the receiving end of 26 fouls in this game. They made the most of their trips to the line, connecting on 26-of-36 shots from there for 72.2% accuracy.
Antabia Waller led Mornar Bar with 15 points. Vukota Pavic and Cameron Tatum added 10 points each.
With 20 wins, Crvena Zvezda has tied artizan for the longest streak of all-time in the ABA league.
Red Star fans will be in for a treat on the 4th of February as their favorite team is set to lock horns with their Eternal Derby rivals, BC Partizan. That will surely be an action-packed encounter between two of Serbia’s best teams. Will Partizan, the winningest team in ABA League history, be able to stifle the dominance of the new Alpha dogs in the league, or will Crvena Zvezda add yet another win to their already astounding run and lay claim to the longest streak in league history?