Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade struggled early in its Round 28 showdown against Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, but then it found a go-to guy.
Mitrovic stepped up in critical moments
Baskonia had an outstanding start in that game and led 13-26 after 10 minutes. The advantage was 31-37 late in the second quarter. Zvezda had closed the gap through a 10-0 run earlier in the second quarter. When Zvezda needed a scoring reference, Luka Mitrovic stepped up for the hosts when it mattered most.
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After Nate Wolters sank a floater, Mitrovic drew a foul and calmly made free throws. He went on to convert an off-balance jump hook, which he followed with a put-back layup to tie the game at 39-39. After Baskonia scored, there was enough time for Mitrovic to bank in a shot and fix the halftime score at 41-41.
Even though Zvezda had not led in the game, the score was tied at halftime and Mitrovic kept going after the break. He made a couple of free throws and added a two-handed dunk in a 9-0 run that put the hosts ahead, 50-41.
When the dust settled, Zvezda had an 86-82 home win and Mitrovic finished with an outstanding stats line. He tallied a season-high 18 points on 6-of-8 two-point shooting and 6-of-7 on free throws plus 5 rebounds and 4 fouls drawn for a PIR of 24, his second-best mark this season. Most importantly, Mitrovic responded when his team needed him most.