Robinson was a highlight reel in Cedevita's win
Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana held off 7Bet-Lietkabelis's comeback to register a 76-72 win. Devin Robinson and Devante Jones had to do a lot of it.
The hosts led from start to finish and showed their best basketball in the second quarter. After 9 minutes, Cedevita led 16-10 when Jones and Robinson decided they had enough.
Jones opened a 18-4 run with a layup, then collected a steal in the opening play of the second quarter to feed Robinson for a wildmill slam. Jones then found Robinson for a high-flying alley-oop dunk in transition. Robinson returned the favour, finding Jones for a floater, then he swished a three-pointer. By the time Jaka Blazic hit his own from downtown, Cedevita led 34-14 and was well on its way to win the game.
Jones had 6 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists before the break. Robinson had 7 rebounds, 3 rebounds and an outstanding block, sending the basketball out of bounds. Cedveita pulled down 17 defensive rebounds before the break, partly because Lietkabelis missed all of its 12 shots from beyond the arc. The hosts also shared the ball really well, getting 10 assists and 3 turnovers. Both teams' PIR difference at halftime said it all, 60-16.
Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana held off 7Bet-Lietkabelis's comeback to register a 76-72 win. Devin Robinson and Devante Jones had to do a lot of it.
Lietkabelis buried 4 consecutive three-pointers in the third quarter but did not get within striking distance until Andrija Stipanovic scored down low for a 75-72 score with 2.6 seconds remaining. Ziga Daneu rounded out Cedevita's win from the foul line.
The visitors finally found answers from downtown after missing 33 consecutive three-pointers. Mantas Rubstavicius hit his team's last three-pointer early in the fourth quarter in its Round 2 game against Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem. After missing all 15 attempts in Round 3 against Aris Midea Thessaloniki, Rubstavicius scored from beyond the arc after 33 team misses.
When the dust settled, Robinson led all scorers with 17 points on 7-of-9 two-point shooting. Jones added 10 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists while Jaka Blazic drew 12 fouls on his way to scoring 14 points.
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"We came onto the court and played with a lot of good energy. We knew it would be tough, that the opposing team would play aggressively, so we wanted to pull away as quickly as possible," Robinson said after the game. "We played with a lot of fight and competitiveness and had an excellent first half. In the second half, we eased up a bit, but that’s basketball."
Cedevita remains undefeated at home and plays four of its next six games at Stozice Arena. After a 0-15 start last season, Cedevita is well on its way for a turnaround season.