Joventut - Reflex 83-79 OT

Badalona, SPAIN, March 9, 2004 (ulebcup.com) - BC Reflex advanced to the ULEB Cup semifinals despite losing to DKV Joventut 83-79 in Badalona on Tuesday night in a thrilling game which will go down as a classic of the competition. Joventut managed to overcome the eight-point deficit by which Reflex won the first leg in Belgrade and almost had both feet in the semifinals, but a miracle, nine-meter three-pointer by Saso Stefanovic at the buzzer sent the game to overtime. There Bojan Popovic became the hero by drilling 5 free throws in the final 13.7 seconds to send Reflex to the next round and leave 10,500 fans at Palau Olimpic in Badalona, Spain in shock. Reggie Freeman led the winners with 20 points, while Kimani Ffriend posted a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Ognjen Askrabic added 14 points for Reflex. Rudy Fernandez led Joventut with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 5 steals. Zan Tabak added 15 points on 7 of 9 two-pointers and 6 rebounds. Nikola Radulovic had 14 points and 8 rebounds before missing the three-pointer which would have sent Joventut to the next round. Alain Digbeu also had 14 on 4 of 9 threes and Carles Marco added 13 points for the hosts.

Tabak was the man of the game in the early going, scoring 4 baskets in the low post in the opening 5 minutes for a 12-9 Joventut lead on a jumper by Fernandez. Meanwhile, Reflex looked for its big men, Ffriend and Askrabic, who combined for 12 points in 7 minutes to help Reflex stay into the game at 17-15. Digbeu, with a three-pointer and Tabak, with a three-point play, gave the hosts a 26-19 lead. Branko Jorovic fired back for Reflex, but 2 free throws by Marco helped the hosts to get a six-point lead at 28-22 after 10 minutes. Vanja Plisnic and Radulovic exchanged threes early in the second quarter, while Ffriend scored fluidly near the basket. A three-pointer by Freeman brought Reflex within one at 34-33, and the guests regained the lead, 36-37, with a basket in the paint by Askrabic. Joventut used a 11-3 run in which Fernandez had 5 points to get back into the two-game series at 47-40 after a corner three by Radulovic and a fastbreak left-handed layup by Alfons Alzamora. Reflex called timeout, and Freeman drilled a turnaround jumper, but 2 late free throws by Radulovic helped Joventut to reach the locker rooms with a 49-42 lead.

A jump hook by Tabak and a three-pointer by Digbeu from the top of the arc gave Joventut a 54-42 lead after halftime, covering for the first time Reflex's nine-point advantage from the opener. Askrabic changed that math with 2 bombs from downtown to make it 57-50, but with Tabak dominating inside, Reflex went cold for more than 4 minutes due to Joventut's improved man-to-man defense. Tabak and Marco scored to push the lead to 63-52 after 28 minutes. Both teams struggled on offense then, with only a free throw by Ffriend and 2 by Josep Maria Guzman going down until Joventut had a 65-53 lead after 30 minutes. Everything seemed in order for the hosts, as another triple by Fernandez meant a game-high 15-point lead at 68-53, but

Tabak picked up his fourth foul with 9 minutes to go, and the Joventut offense collapsed. Meanwhile, Freeman took over for Reflex, scoring 8 uncontested points to bring his team within 68-61. When Joventut regained the overall series lead at 72-61,Tabak fouled out and the game turned into a thriller. Stefanovic hit his first shot from downtown to make it a seven-point game, 72-65 with less than 3 minutes to go. Joventut needed a go-to-guy and Marco stepped up with 4 points. Ffriend scored near the basket and Reflex had the ball to win the series with 21.7 seconds to go, but Joventut's defense forced an eight-second violation as the guests didn't make it across halfcourt by that time limit. Fernandez seemed to seal the win from the foul line with 3 of 4 foul shots that gave Joventut an 11-point lead, 79-68, with 3.6 second to go. But in that time, Stefanovic launched an incredible double-pump nine-meter three-pointer that sailed through the net, tying the series and sending the game to OT in front of 10,500 shocked fans.

Milan Majstorovic entered the game in overtime and scored the first basket for Reflex, but Alzamora answered with a fastbreak layup. Nervousness took over, as both teams exchanged turnovers and missed shots until Vanja Plisnic dropped a free throw with just under 2 minutes left, giving Reflex a one-point lead in the series. Marco missed a jumper and Reflex failed to shoot on its next possesion. Fernandez stepped up once again with a running layup which made gave Joventut a 83-74 lead. Plisnic missed a three, and Joventut entered the final minute with a one-point series lead and the ball. After Marco missed a three, Popovic drew a foul with 13.7 seconds to go. He drilled both free throws, while Radulovic missed a three at the other end with 4 seconds on the clock. He missed it, and received a double technical as Popovic was fouled with 0.5 seconds on the overtime clock. Popovic sealed the win with 3 more free throws and Reflex advanced to the semis in a most incredible way.

2003/04 ULEB Cup quarterfinals, first legs - RESULTS

Caprabo - Estudiantes 82-73
Real - Metis 68-67
Reflex - Joventut 81-73
Hapoel - Lietuvos 79-72

2003/04 ULEB Cup quarterfinals, second legs - RESULTS

Estudiantes - Caprabo 96-68
Metis - Real 57-62
Joventut - Reflex 83-79 (OT)
Lietuvos - Hapoel 81-80

Earlier news
March 3, 2004: Reflex - Joventut 81-73