The Italian side gave up a 20-point lead before stepping up late to get the win.
Reyer kept its playoff dream alive after almost throwing it away at Cedevita
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Regular Season
Round 15 of 18
Regular Season
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Cedevita Olimpija LjubljanaCOL
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Umana Reyer VeniceURV
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Overview
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Umana Reyer Venice enters the last three games of the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season with a shot at making the playoffs, but it very nearly saw its postseason hopes come to an end at Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana.
Neven Spahija saw his team get off to a red-hot start in the Slovenian capital, going 0-12 ahead before ending the first quarter with a 15-31 lead. In fact, Reyer led by as many as 20 points, 20-40, early in the second quarter. From that point, though, it seemed that Reyer thought the game was done. The travelling fans were loving what they were seeing, too.
A Cedevita comeback
By the time halftime came around, Cedevita had trimmed the gap to 49-56 after outscoring the visitors 34-25 in the second period. Then, in the third, the Slovenian outfit made it a 1-point ballgame on two occasions – 56-57 and 67-68 – before taking the lead for the first time on the night following a Jaka Blazic layup, 69-68. Reyer then regained the lead, but Cedevita found itself 1 point behind once more, 74-75, in the closing stages of the third. A couple of Marco Spissu free throws made it 74-77 entering the fourth.
The closest Cedevita would ever get in the fourth was 2 points behind, 77-79, after a Luka Skuca triple with 9:16 minutes to go. Reyer led the rest of the way, as Spissu’s dagger three all but confirmed the result, 91-101, with 1:52 remaining. The visitors ended up securing a 93-104 victory, but Coach Spahija was not happy with his team’s defense.
“Our offense was never a question. We played really bad defense in the second and third quarters,” Spahija stated in the post-game flash interview. “Finally, in the last quarter, we found the way to stop [Cedevita] and do something extra on offense. Scoring 104 points is always nice, but I don’t like to give up 93. If we want to play at a serious level, we have to play good defense consistently.”
Having a shot at the playoffs
Speaking afterward, both Coach Spahija and Rayjon Tucker, who shined with a game-high 24 points, as well as 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals, stressed that they are taking things one game at a time regarding the playoffs.
Reyer now has a 6-9 record and is two games back of Prometey Slobozhanske in sixth, the final playoff spot, so it not only needs to win its remaining games – one of which is against Prometey in Round 17 – but it has to rely on the Ukrainian side faltering, too.
“We know that if we want to qualify [for the playoffs], we have to win every game. If we lose, we’re out,” commented Coach Spahija.
“Every game that we have down the stretch is an important game for us to give us a chance to make the playoffs, so getting this one was very important. But we’re just taking it one game at a time,” expressed Tucker. “We know that if we want to qualify [for the playoffs], we have to win every game. If we lose, we’re out,” added Coach Spahija.
Perhaps it is too little too late, but Reyer’s win at Cedevita has given itself a chance to make the playoffs. And that’s all it could have asked for.