Darko Bajo leads Split toward huge win over Cibona

AdmiralBet ABA League Round 6, Sunday, 31 October 2021:

SPLIT - Cibona 77:76 (19:25, 24:13, 20:16, 14:22)

PHOTO GALLERY

POST-GAME COMMENTS

Game recap: Split have scored their first win of the season as they prevailed over their big rivals Cibona in a thrilling clash. 

The home side had a slow start and they were trailing by 15 already in the opening quarter – 9:24, but the boys in yellow-and-black jerseys managed to pulled off a major comeback and to take over the lead already by halftime – 43:38. Split have remained in front until the end, but only after going through a dramatic ending in which Cibona missed several chances to turn the things in their advantage.

Split now have the overall score of 1-5, while Cibona are at 3-3.

Key moments: Split were up by 3 points with less than one-and-a-half minute on the game clock – 76:73, while in the rest of the match Cibona missed two big chances to melt the gap even more. Firstly, Jose Vildoza made perhaps the key turnover when he was called for traveling right under the basket of Split, while just couple of moments later Nathan Reuvers missed a 2-pointer that would have reduced Split’s lead to just a single point.

After Cibona missed their chances, Toni Perković scored one free throw to seal the win for Split – 77:73.

Man of the match: Split's 22-year-old power forward Darko Bajo is not just the MVP of today's match, but he might also be the MVP of the entire round. Bajo made a sensational performance as he scored his career-high 26 points and tied his career-high 9 rebounds. On top of all that, he recorded his career-high 41 index rating!

Can't trick the stats: At the end it was turnovers that decided the winner. Cibona made 10 of them tonight, which is double as much as Split team made.