By winning in Round 14, Andrej Zakelj’s squad has a realistic shot at making the EuroCup Playoffs.
Buducnost is alive and kicking after refusing to go down against Bourg
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It might be a bit early to be talking about a make-or-break type of game, but that was the situation for Buducnost VOLI Podgorica entering Round 14 of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season.
With a 5-8 record in Group B and on the outside looking in regarding the playoffs, the visit of a Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse side that had won seven straight was hardly what the doctor had ordered. But, Andrej Zakelj’s side managed to complete a comeback and emerge as the 78-74 winner, improving to 6-8 in the process. Buducnost in seventh is now tied record-wise with Aris Midea Thessaloniki in fifth and Dolomiti Energia Trento in sixth.
Responding in fine fashion
Buducnost got off to a great start, but Bourg found its rhythm in the second quarter and took the lead before having a 30-39 advantage at the break. A couple of minutes into the third, Bourg was up by double digits, 35-46. It looked like back-to-back defeats were on the cards, which would have been a major blog to the club’s postseason hopes, yet the hosts would go on to outscore the French visitors 43-28 the rest of the way.
Even at the halftime interval, Buducnost center Nikola Tanaskovic knew that his team was capable of going to another level, having put up 30 points through the first 20 minutes: “Our team is capable of scoring much more than this.” It would turn out that Mr. Tanaskovic knew exactly what he was talking about, and the Montenegrin team’s defense also tightened things up, too.
“We were nervous in the first half, especially on offense; we didn’t score anything,” acknowledged Coach Zakelj in the post-game flash interview. “Then, with better defense in the third quarter, we came back. The players deserved to win.”
Makoundou stood out for Buducnost
One of the key contributors on both ends of the floor was Yoan Makoundou, a loanee from AS Monaco who is showing that he deserves a crack at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. The 23-year-old’s all-action play saw him finish with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block, yet it was his intangibles that gave his side a shot in the arm: his hustle, his never-say-die attitude, and his desire to make winning plays, even if they don’t show up in the stats sheet.
“It was one hell of a game,” recognized Makoundou. “Both teams competed until the end. We really wanted this one, so I’m really glad that I’ve been able to help my teammates finally get this win. Now, we’re focusing on the next game, but it was a heck of a game.”
The playoff battle
Every game for Buducnost is going to be like this at the moment, as it attempts to make up for a 2-5 start to the campaign. Coach Zakelj arrived just prior to Round 8 and has since guided his group to a 4-3 record, which has seen Buducnost begin to dream about a spot in the EuroCup Playoffs once again.
With the quality it has on its roster, postseason basketball should have been a given for this team, but a strong side on paper means nothing if the players can’t back it up on the court. Coach Zakelj is still putting his fingerprints on this group, and there have been positive signs, but he does need to find a way to stop his team’s habit of winning one before losing one week later. Should he do that, we should expect to see Buducnost in the postseason.
It seems the race for the EuroCup Playoffs is going right down to the wire, so Buducnost just needs to be within touching distance. As such, winning at Aris in Round 15 needs to be an imperative.