The Trefl forward scored 33, but the Polish side was limited to just 2 free throws in an eight-minute spell in the second period
Buducnost and its second-quarter defense spoiled Zyskowski’s career night
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Looking at the score late in the fourth quarter, with Buducnost VOLI Podgorica leading 86-81 against Trefl Sopot in the final minute of regulation, you could have thought it had been a close game at Moraca on Wednesday night. That five-point point gap was the closest Trefl could get in the last 29 minutes of the game, though, as the hosts had been dominating all game long and even built a 20-point difference before halftime (46-26, min 18).
What happened? Jaroslaw Zyskowski had a lot to do with it. The Polish forward destroyed all his previous records in the competition by scoring 33 points with an impressive stat line: 4 for 4 on two-pointers, 5 for 6 from beyond the arc, and 10 free throws made from 12 attempts. Zyskowski scored 17 points in the last period and finished with a career-high 37 PIR, but Buducnost managed to prevent the comeback and ended up winning 92-83.
“I expected a tough game, and it was a tough game,” Buducnost head coach Andrej Zakelj recognized after the game. “I think we went into the second half too much relaxed, not tough enough. We allowed them to feel that they could play. So, this was the problem."
That relaxation could be explained by how his team approached the second quarter and the outcome it got from it. Right before Zyskowski’s first three, which made it 29-25 after 11 minutes, Buducnost geared up on defense and held Trefl scoreless for the next seven minutes, while it didn’t allow a single field goal in eight minutes. As such, the hosts’ lead increased to 46-26 and set the foundations for the final win.
In that second quarter, Buducnost forced Trefl to make just 1-of-8 two-point attempts, 2-of-9 shots from three, and just 2-of-4 free throws. Buducnost also outrebounded Trefl 14-7, leaving it with a team PIR of just 2 for those 10 minutes. That extraordinarily defensive performance in the second quarter was money in the bank for the remainder of the game.
“If you play defense, then you play offense,” Zakelj assured. “But in the end, I must say it was not an easy game for us. It was pressure. We had to win, and we won.”