There is no question Crvena zvezda is the favorite in the 5th round game with Union Olimpija, played in Beograd. Both teams have problems with injuries and illness but that mostly hits Crvena zvezda which will play without Reegie Freeman and Nikola Jestratijević according to head coach Zmago Sagadin. Marko Maravič and Đenan Rahimić on the other side are supposed to play nevertheless injuries. This will be a game in which the team from Ljubljana will urgently struggle for the win while Crvena zvezda has nothing to lose.
Krka leaves for Podgorica with an imperative for a success as one win and three defeats are far less that the team from Novo mesto expected before the start of the season. Sani Bečirovič has slight problems and Boris Gnjidić is still not in his top form. Budućnost on the contrary is stimulated with the latest win in Zagreb and expects Mladen Šekularac to return to the team after he did not play in the 4th round because of an injury. Head coach Miodrag Baletić warns players they should not underestimate the opponent.
Croatian champion Split will host Cibona disappointed by the latest news that Vladimir Stepania will not join the team after signing for Portland. The atmosphere in the city is not at the usual high level especially after the catastrophe in Široki brijeg and calls for a success. Meanwhile Cibona would like to revenge for the loss of the last season's national trophy but it is still uncertain if Sesar will play.
If Geolpin Slovan wants to climb upwards from the last position in the Goodyear League the game against Široki Hercegtisak is a good opportunity. The team from Široki brijeg will come to Maribor directly from Lithuania where it played FIBA Europe League and had only two training sessions afterwards. Therefore Široki's head coach Neven Plantak could not change any man in the team while Geoplin Slovan will play with Georgij Čekovski who missed last round's game because of stomach problems but finally joined the team at the end of the week.
Lovćen is one of positive surprises at the start of the season but meets a very uncomfortable opponent this time - the host Banjalučka pivara. The latter is for the first time with a complete roster and will have many fans on its side. But Lovćen does not calculate much, a win is the only way that leads to the upper part of the league's table.
It is not to bet on the game between Zagreb and Pivovarna Laško as the host team proved itself to be a team with many faces, especially on its home ground. Damir Miljković, the leader of the team, is still not totally prepared but gives some promises that he might play. Laško already has the best score in the league among all four Slovenian teams after an excellent start to the season and took also Domen Žerak on the road. Another win will be precious.
The last season's Goodyear Champion Zadar expects Reflex, coached by Vlado Đurović, a man that has most credit for the last Zadar's national trophy in 1986. The guests can count on Ognjen Aškrabić until the end of the season and he will be also a strong weapon this time while it is still unsure if Emilio Kovačić will play for Zadar. After two defeats in a row Zadar now needs a success.
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