Mohammed to Gajovic Alley Oop Double

In his first game for BC Mures, explosive shooting guard Alhaji Mohammed showed that scoring is not his only trait. He dished out 9 assists, two of those ended up becoming spectacular alley oops dunked home by forward Goran Gajovic.

Rezultatele echipelor mureșene din 9-11 octombrie

Rezultatele obținute de echipele mureșene în acest weekend (în paranteză numărul victoriilor și înfrângerilor):

LNBM Dinamo București - BC Mureș Tîrgu Mureș 81-69 (1-1)

U13M Lucky Dragons Tîrgu Mureș - Bihorul Oradea 47-104 (1-1)

U13M U-Mobitelco 2 Cluj-Napoca - LPS Tîrgu Mureș 74-61 (0-1)

U13F CSS Al. Ceușianu Reghin - CSS Gheorgheni 53-29 (2-0)

U14M Gladius Tîrgu Mureș - Olimpic Baia Mare 71-15 (1-1)

U14F Crișul Oradea - CSS Al Ceușianu Reghin 60-48 (1-1)

U14F BC Sirius Tîrgu Mureș - CSS Gheorgheni 59-47 (1-0)

Meciuri in weekend (10-11 octombrie)

Săptămâna trecută a început faza de calificare a campionatelor naționale de juniori. În prima săptămână niciuna din echipele din Tîrgu Mureș nu a jucat pe teren propriu. Din această săptămână însă avem meciuri de urmărit la diferite categorii de vârstă. Mai jos aveți meciurile, locațiile și ora de start. Vizionare plăcută!

U13M Lucky Dragons Tîrgu Mureș - LPS Bihorul Oradea, duminică 11 octombrie ora 14, Sala Electromures

U14F BC Sirius Tîrgu Mureș - CSS Gheorgheni, sâmbătă 10 octombrie ora 13, Sala Sporturilor

U14M Gladius Tîrgu Mureș - Bihorul Oradea, sâmbătă 10 octombrie ora 14,
școala 20

Nu uitați, vineri de la ora 20, în direct pe Digisport 2, BC Mureș joacă pe terenul celor de la Dinamo București.

How to Call a Time Out When There is None Left?

BC Mures lost to Energia Tirgu Jiu 81-78 in the 25th round of the LNBM after a tightly fought game against the Eurochallenge prodigy. 

Towards the end of the game, with only 4 seconds remaining on the clock, BC Mures had a 1 point deficit with Giordan Wattson at the free throw line for two shots. With all three time outs exhausted, coach Prakuraitis gathered his players at the sideline and explained what he expected from them in the last attack of the game. Even while the players were preparing for the free throw, he was drawing on the tactical board and showing it to his players. And it almost worked, Polyak having an unexpected open shot at the buzzer, which unfortunately for his team, but to the joy of the Energia fans didn't go in.

The 39 Minute Player

In basketball there are a few extremely talented players who can make shots from any position and in tough circumstances. They just feel it. It can't be trained, taught or practiced. It just comes from the God given talent that they possess.

They (usually) defy basketball: don't need set plays, won't get discouraged if they miss three in a row, taunt their adversaries and many times ignore the coach's indication. They are loved by the fans and hated by the opposition.

Any coach would want such a player on the court in the final minutes of a close game. Just give him the ball, sit on the bench and see the opponents shake in their sneakers. They usually deliver.

There are a few players there, who can do these things, they have the talent, the attitude, the works, but only during the first 39 minutes of the game. They score 20+ points in a game, make tough shots, exasperate the opposing coach and send the fans into heaven. But come the last minute, they fall into an unknown abyss and simply forget about everything and become doombringers for their teams. They commit turnovers, miss shot after shot, and if they are kept on the court, they most probably lose the game all by themselves. 

Such a player is Matija Ceskovic from CSU Atlassib Sibiu, previously at BC Mures. His talent and basketball skills can't be contested. When he is on fire, almost nothing can stop him from scoring. He is a pain in the arse for any defender and defensive system. He can score from way beyond the arc or he can penetrate to the basket even against much taller opposition.

But all this only in the first 39 minutes. If a coach had the bad decision of leaving him on the court, moreover gave him the ball in hope that he would win the game, it would mean almost certain doom for the team. There are many examples from both his BC Mures and CSU Sibiu periods and I won't bother to line them all up here. A perfect example was today's match against Pitesti, which Sibiu lost in the final minute. 

After taking the lead with less than a minute to go, thanks to a 3 pointer by Ceskovic, Sibiu gained possession due to a Lee rebound. Ceskovic received the ball with less than 40 seconds on the clock and tried to wind down the clock as usual for a team in lead. After a failed inside pass to Lee, the ball bounced to Bojovic, who passed it to Ceskovic. With the shot clock winding down he was forced to shoot a desperation three, but wasn't even close and on the ensuing fast break Pitesti scored with an easy dunk. Sibiu called for a time out and the coach decided to give the ball to, you guessed right, Nr. 26. With only a few seconds left on the clock, Ceskovic attempted to pass the ball to Lee under the basket, and he succeeded, but committed travelling in the process and there was no more time left for a miracle in Pitesti.

I have nothing personal against Matija Ceskovic, he is a very talented and versatile player. I liked him both time he played for BC Mures, but if I were the coach, I would have left him on the bench every time when there was a clutch situation within the final minutes of a game.

35 What About a Real Final Four?

Energia Tirgu Jiu is very close to qualifying for the last eight phase of the Eurochallenge, Europe's third basketball club competition. With two home games left, Energia has a 3-1 record, and have their faith in their own hands. 

If they win any of their two home games they are 100% in the next round, with a victory against Astana they even have the first place assured. There is only one realistic possibility to lose their place in the top 8. If they were defeated in their last two games at home and Okapi Aalstar beat both Enel Basket and Astana on the road, only then would Antonis Constantinides' side miss the chance to make it into the next phase.

There is still the possibility that all four teams will finish with a 3-3 record and then the total goal difference of the group will decide the qualifying teams. In this case Energia will have to limit harshly the margin with which they lose, to heighten their chances of qualifying.

If Energia makes it into the Quarter Final Playoffs, they will meet one of the top 2 teams from Group J in a "best of three" encounter, with two matches played on the better placed team's court. Group J is still open to all possibilities, but Le Mans is currently holding first place, with Nanterre and Usak in joint second.

The winners of the Quarter Final games will play in the Eurochallenge Final Four. The host of the event will be chosen out of the four teams that have made it there. 

It would be nice to see such an event organized in Romania, it would mean a great deal for the image of Romanian basketball. In my opinion the chances for Energia to get there are bigger than that of getting the organizing. To organize the Final Four the team has to assure a hall with a minimum of 3000 seats, so the Tirgu Jiu Arena is out of the question. There are other halls which live up to the standards, but there is the question whether the club wants to organize an event in another city, where most of their faithful fans won't have the chance to see their favorites.

We will have to wait and see, first whether Energia makes it or not so far (I sincerely hope they do), then if there is enough will and financial power to organize such an event. Until then let's root for them because they showed on the court repeatedly that they deserve our respect.

34 Ex-Tiger to Coach Universitatea

Flavius Lapuste has been named as the new coach of National League team Universitatea Cluj-Napoca. This comes after Carmin Popa has announced his resignation after 18 games in charge of the team which had a 0-18 win loss record.

Lapuste, who is 37 years old, and just recently hung up his basketball shoes, will make his coaching debut against one of his former teams, BC Mures Tirgu Mures. He spent two seasons in Tirgu Mures before leaving to play for Energia Rovinari.

The Pitesti born player, played many seasons in Cluj-Napoca, but for another team, U-Mobitelco Cluj-Napoca. He also played for the Romanian National Team.

Flavius Lapuste's new team has a mountain to climb if they want to avoid relegation at the end of the season. The coach's job is to make his players believe that the goal is still achievable.

Universitatea Cluj vs. BC Mures will see two teams who can't afford to lose if they want to achieve their pre-season objectives: remaining in the National League for the hosts and making the playoffs for the visitors.

Although I am sure that BC Mures fans can't concede a defeat at the hands of Universitatea, they all wish a long and fruitful coaching career for Flavius, but only after Thursday night's game. 

33 The Romanian Cup Final Four to be Held in Pitesti

The Romanian Cup Final Four has been awarded to Pitesti. The team which has one Cup title to its name, has won the auction which started at 10.000 lei. The other two teams qualified for the Final Four are CSU Atlassib Sibiu and BC Mures Tirgu Mures. CSU Asesoft Ploiesti and BC Timisoara will play a double for the last spot on the 18th and 25th of March.

The Final Four will take place in the Trivale City Arena between the 2nd and 3rd of April (Thursday and Friday). The schedule of games is as follows:

1. CSU Atlassib Sibiu - BC Mures Tirgu Mures

2. CSU Asesoft Ploiesti / BC Timisoara - BCM U Pitesti

The winners of these two games will play for the Romanian Cup.

The Trivale City Arena is the smallest of all four possible locations. Basketball is highly regarded in Pitesti and most probably there will be a full house, at least for the local team's games. There would be a problem accommodating the visiting fans, but given that the tournament will be held in the middle of the week, the probability of large groups of visiting fans is small.

Ploiesti is 126 km, Sibiu 161 km and Tirgu Mures 275 km's away from Pitesti.

The starting ours are not known at this time.

The games will be broadcast live, but the channel is still unknown.

32 BC Mures to Meet Universitatea Cluj on Thursday

BC Mures will play their first official game under the reign of coach Audrius Prakuraitis when they visit winless outfit Universitatea Cluj Napoca.

After the bittersweet parting from coach Sekulovic, all fans are waiting to see what can Mr. P put on the table on such a short notice. One thing is clear, this game must be won! 

The hosts rely heavily on their american contingent but they have genuine local talent on the roster that can help the team. Alin Borsa, who played for BC Mures a few seasons ago, had a few remarkable games for Cluj, making the Mures fans regret his departure.

BC Mures has no roster change. Coach Prakuraitis can count on the same players as his predecessor. This game will probably give him the opportunity for rotation tests, but one wouldn't want to keep the score close for the final minutes.

The game will be played on Thursday in the Horia Demian Gym, starting at 19:00.

31 The Schedule for Liga 1 Has Been Announced

The semifinal phase of Liga 1 will start on the 22nd of February. BC Mures 2 Tirgu Mures will play in the group reserved for satellite teams alongside Steaua Bucuresti, CSU Ploiesti, Universitatea Cluj Napoca, Timba Timisoara and Energia Tirgu Jiu. The results against Energia Tirgu Jiu remain from the first round so the team starts with a 4 point tally.

In the first game, Geroge Trif's team will play in Cluj against Universitatea, while the first home game will be against Timba Timisoara a week later. The first three teams qualify for the final tournament.

The full schedule of games can be found here.

30 Seven Minute Offensive Drought Seals the Game for BC Mures

BC Mures suffered their 9th defeat of the season tonight in an important game in the race for the playoffs. Coach Sekulovic's outfit couldn't take advantage of two important absences from the Timisoara squad and lost after a low scoring game, 67-77.

BC Mures took a flying start and forced coach Petricevic to call a time out after an 8-0 run. Timisoara got back into the game slowly but surely and at the halftime buzzer the score was 44-39.

The third quarter was a close one, but BC Mures stretched their lead to six. The fourth quarter proved to be a nightmare for the hosts, it was not enough that they couldn't score for 7 minutes and 5 seconds, but they had allowed 18 points in this interval, giving Timisoara a 12 point lead with 3:10 remaining of the game. 

From here on was catch me if you can for Timisoara and BC Mures proved unable to up their game. The final whistle found the visitors' bench on their feet celebrating a hard fought and deserved victory, while the BC Mures fans booed their favorites for the first time in a long time.

In Jovanovic's absence Pilcevic took on the leading role successfully and put his teammates in clear scoring positions. Kelvin Lewis sat out the game against Energia and was full of energy tonight being the top scorer for his team in Persic's absence.

BC Mures relied heavily on Dykes and Adamovic, and if the latter had a decent game offensively, the american couldn't deliver his usual fireworks, being limited to 10 point by the Timisoara defense. Peciukas didn't receive many usable balls in offense, while Barro continued his poor form of late. Ivanovic had one of his worse games in Tirgu Mures with only six points. Lazar and Capusan were useful while on the field and Polyak gave Adamovic some needed breathing time in defense. Gajovic played 20 minutes but couldn't step into the limelight.

Scorers:

BC Mures: Adamovic 19 points, 8 assists, Peciukas 10 points, Dykes 10 points, 6 rebounds.

BC Timisoara: Kelvin Lewis 19 points, 7 rebounds, Vladimir Tica 19 points, 6 rebounds, Radenko Pilcevic 17 points, 8 assists.

After this game BC Timisoara consolidated their playoff position, while BC Mures made their life miserable, and can't afford another slip up in the regular season. 

29 BC Mures to Meet BC Timisoara on Saturday

On the 17th gameday of the LNBM BC Mures Tirgu Mures will host BC Timisoara. The game will be played in the Sala Sporturilor City Arena on Saturday, starting at 18:00.

BC Mures has six foreign players, after parting with Matija Ceskovic, and signs are that all six of them are healthy and ready to play. BC Timisoara has announced that two of their most important players are injured and won't play on Saturday. It will remain to be seen, how the two lineups will look after the two coaches sign the scoresheet, 10 minutes before the game.

The two teams have the same number of points, but BC Timisoara has a game in hand. In this tight race for the playoffs none of the two combatants can really afford losing points, so we can expect a close encounter.

BC Mures will probably rely on the foreign rotation, but the minutes given to Capusan, Polyak and Lazar, and consequently the breather minutes given to Ivanovic, Barro and Adamovic can influence the final result.

Timisoara relies heavily on Jovanovic, his alleged injury and absence from the field could give the edge for BC Mures, but his teammates could close the ranks and play more as a team in their captain's absence. If Persic proves to be injured and out for two games also, there will be only five foreign players on the scoresheet for Timisoara.

The game can be watched live on www.bcmures.ro/live .

28 Transilvania Cup for U12 Kids

Saturday will start the 2015 edition of the Transilvania Cup. It is a friendly competition for kids below the age of 12. 

This year will see three categories at work: U10 boys, U10 girls (baby basket) and U12 boys (mini basket). The games will be played in two locations: T. Vladimirescu Gymnasium (School Nr. 20) and Electromures Highschool. 

You can find the rules and schedule of the competition on the official site. There you can also follow the results and standings of the teams.

27 Weekend basketball

There is a rich basketball offer in the weekend.

1. BC Mures LPS Tirgu Mures - ACS Vipo Bucuresti, U18M, UPM Gym, Saturday 10:00

2. Nova Vita Tirgu Mures - BCM Tymes Timisoara, LNBF, Sala Sporturilor, Saturday, 15:00

3. BC Mures Tirgu Mures - BC Timisoara, LNBM, Sala Sporturilor, Saturday, 18:00

4. CS Muresul Tirgu Mures - Dan Dacian Bucuresti, U16M, Sala Sporturilor, Sunday, 10:00

5. BC Mures LPS Tirgu Mures - CS 4 Sports Bucuresti, U16M, LPS Gym, Sunday, 10:00

6. BC Sirius Tirgu Mures - Phoenix Galati, Liga 1F, UPM Gym, Sunday, 16:00

There are also the games counting for the Transilvania Cup, a friendly tournament for kids under 10 years of age. The games will be played at T. Vladimirescu Gymnasium and Electromures Highschool.

26 About BC Mures 2 & Interview with George Trif

BC Mures 2 qualified for the semifinal phase of the Liga 1. This feat has been achieved mainly by using only U20 players, although the rules allowed the entering of five older players on the score-sheet. During the season the team lost a few of its players. Raul Puscas "the veteran" of the team left first, he went to work in a foreign country. Madalin Potcoava left after the Christmas break, he had been bought out by Dinamo for a bargain. Dimitris Rasty left on a loan to Stiinta Bucuresti until the end of the season, to help them achieve their goal of advancing into the National League. He will return for next season.

Despite of these losses the team fared well and managed to top all satellite teams from the group. Coach Trif enlisted BC Mures veteran Jakab Cristian to help out in the paint, after losing two of his tall players. And Cristi, as fans know him, didn't disappoint. Beside the help he provided under the baskets, he motivated his younger teammates, making them perform even better.

In the semifinal phase the team will play against CSU Asesoft Ploiesti, Universitatea Cluj-Napoca, Timba Timisoara and Steaua CSM Eximbank Bucuresti. The results against Energia Tirgu Jiu will remain and count for the standings. To make it to the final tournament, BC Mures will have to finish in the top 3 of the group, which even if it's hard, is not impossible.

I have asked coach George Trif about a few things related with the team and he was kind enough to answer.

What are the objectives of the team after qualifying for the top 6?
The team's target is to grow young players, to make them capable of playing for the first team. We don't have an objective, except of making these players raise their level from game to game.

For various reasons the team has lost Puscas, Potcoava and Rasty. Will you promote other young players from the U18 team to replace them?
All young players who have quality and potential to become professional basketball players, and who really want to succeed, will get the chance to play at the BC Mures satellite team. We wish to promote local talent, to have more local players in the first team in a few years time.

In the last game we have seen Jakab Cristian playing and he played quite well. Does his experience help his younger teammates to grow?
Cristi's presence on the court gives confidence to the younger players making them play better. Moreover he is a special teammate, that counsels and guides them all the time. The young players can only learn from Cristi's vast experience.

The semifinal phase will begin in two weeks time. The schedule is still unknown.

25 Liga 1 - The Semifinal Phase

The 2014-2015 Liga 1 (the Romanian second division) season has an unprecedented and interesting system. There are two types of teams: satellites of National League teams and standalone teams. The standalone teams have the right to advance to the National League, while satellite teams only play for medals and financial benefits for the next season.

In the first phase of the competition all the teams were drawn into three groups, no matter of their type and there were weekly rounds when every team played two games against all other teams. As the first phase is over, we know the teams that have made it into the semifinal phase. 

Standalone teams: Phoenix Galati, Politehnica Iasi, CSM Miercurea Ciuc, Stiinta Bucuresti and Dinamo Bucuresti. As there is only one standalone team in group B, the sixth qualifier will probably be the best third placed team from the other two groups, in this case CSU Cuadripol Brasov.

Satellite teams: CSU Ploiesti, Steaua CSM Eximbank Bucuresti, Universitatea Cluj, Timba Timisoara, BC Mures and Energia Tirgu Jiu.

In the case of standalone teams the goal is clear: make it to the Final Four tournament and place in the first two places. This means automatic qualification for next year's LNBM. To motivate satellite teams to play their best, the federation decided to add financial incentives. This way the winner of the final tournament will receive a 20% deduction  from next season's fees. The second 15% and the third 10%. These deductions will be applied to the first team so the sum is not negligible.

In the second phase, the semifinal group, all six teams will be placed in a single group and will play each other twice. Four standalone teams and three satellite teams will qualify for the final tournaments of their segment.

In the satellite teams' segment, teams will play weekly matches against each other. Teams coming from the same qualifying group won't play again, their group result will count. The standings before the semifinal phase are as follows.

Place	Team	Goal difference	Points
1	BC Mures Tirgu Mures	189-122	4
2	CSU Ploiesti	166-143	4
3	Universitatea Cluj-Napoca	154-146	3
4	Timba Timisoara	146-154	3
5	Steaua CSM Eximbank Bucuresti	143-166	2
6	Energia Tirgu Jiu	122-189	2

24 BC Mures Surprises Pitesti in the 3rd and Comes Away with the Win

BC Mures proved to be one of the most unpredictable teams of the championship. After a surprising loss against Craiova, Srecko Sekulovic's team managed a 7 point victory against BCM U Pitesti, one of the better teams of the league.

The game started badly for the visitors, as Pitesti took a 10 point lead early on. Srecko Sekulovic used nine of his ten players in the first half, and the substitutes didn't let him down, managing to tie the game at 28. Pitesti picked up the rhythm and managed a 9 point run, but a similar run of the visitors took the score to 37-37. From here on the to teams went neck and neck until the break, BC Mures having the last word with an Ivanovic buzzer beater, and the scoreboard showed 39-41 at the half.

The third quarter was a nightmare for Pitesti, many turnovers, missed shots and most of all many uncontested shots left for BC Mures, whom at one point had a 25 point lead, 47-72. Hristu Sapera used most of his available players to press a suffocating defense and it almost worked out. The BC Mures substitutes were left on the bench for most of the second half and the starters started to tire as the minutes counted down. This spurred an unlikely  Pitesti comeback and made it a close encounter right to the finish. Despite a valiant effort, Pitesti couldn't cut into the Mures lead enough and had to concede a seven point victory in the end.

The seven point margin equals the difference from the first game, so in the case of a two way tie at the end of the regular season, the total point difference in the championship will decide the order. This was the reason why both teams, and most of all Pitesti, tried to score up until the end, even if the winner had been already decided.

Scorers:

BCM U Pitesti: Sutalo 21 (3), Milosevic 19, Djapa 13 (1), Ross 13 (1)

BC Mures Tirgu Mures: Adamovic 23 (3), Ivanovic 16 (), Dykes 16, Gajovic 12 (4).

After this game Pitesti has a 9-6 and BC Mures a 7-8 standing. The battle for the playoffs is still very much open.

23 BC Mures 2 Victorious in the Last Regular Season Game

BC Mures 2 went to Craiova with only nine players but came away victorious. George Trif couldn't count on Rasty who left for Bucharest, on Jakab who went to Pitesti with the first team and on Botos.

BC Mures led with 10 after the first quarter and never looked back. All players put their name on the scoresheet, but Engi, Boloni and Oprea were the stars of this game with 20+ each.

Scorers: Engi 21 (5), Boloni 21 (3), Oprea 20 (1),  Tibirna 9, Stefan 5, Ilicov 4, Barabasi 3, Szabo 3, Baki 2.

This was the last game of the regular season of Liga 1. BC Mures finished in 3rd place in the group behind Dinamo and Stiinta Bucuresti, with 10 victories and only 4 defeats. This means that George Trif's team qualifies from first place to the satellite teams' semifinal group.

22 Drunk Dwriting

Never drink and drive they say! But drink and write?! Is that allowed?! I think yes! :D

I am drunk, so let' try! It is Saturday, or is t Sunday already? I keep correcting my typoes, but I think it would be funnier if I didn't.

My kid is asleep or is he?! I keep abusing of the ?! but who cares?! right?!

I might fall asleep while typing and wake up to see a genioyus text on my blog, but prrobably not :p

How many shots are too many? I think I reached the number, but I just can't remember. Oh well...

I won't share this, but I am curious if someone will, hihi....

See you tomorrow sober world.

Over and out!

21 Four Live Games in the 16th Round of LNBM

The 16th round of the LNBM starts today and spans over three days. There are at least four very interesting encounters and all of them will be live on Digisport.

CSM U Oradea - U-BT Cluj-Napoca start us off into this long weekend of basketball games. Both teams come after victories in the previous round, Cluj beat Medias and Oradea won in Ploiesti in a dramatic fashion. Both teams have new point guards, Alexandar Vlahovic replacing injured Marcus Hatten and Frank Turner being signed to back up Curtis Millage. On paper the game should be a tight one, both teams needing the win to consolidate their playoff positions. The game starts at 18:00 on Friday and will be LIVE on Digisport 2.

CSU Atlassib Sibiu - CSU Asesoft Ploiesti will see a packed Transilvania Arena. In last year's regular season the game between the two teams ended with a Sibiu rout and Ploiesti manager had to be escorted off the court. It will be interesting to see wheter the Sibiu fans will prepare a special choreography for the game. Ploiesti is without point guard D Brown, who left the team, but still start as favorites given their star studded lineup. The game starts at 17:30 on Saturday and will be LIVE on Digisport 3. 

SCM U Craiova - CS Gaz Metan Medias will bring the 10th and 11th placed teams on the court. Although both teams are basically out of the playoffs, none of them can sit relaxed, Timba Timisoara fighting hard to pass them in the table and save themselves from relegation. Craiova is coming after an impressive home win against BC Mures, while Medias is in a slump, losing both their games after the Christmas break. The game starts at 19:00 on Saturday.

Steaua CSM Eximbank Bucuresti - Universitatea Cluj-Napoca is the most one sided game of the round. Steaua want to make amends for exiting the Romanian Cup at the hands of BC Mures, and will probably put on a show against the winless Cluj side. The game will start at 19:00 on Saturday.

BC Timisoara - CS Energia Tirgu Jiu is a game between two playoff contenders. Both teams have identical 7/6 table lines and a loss can damage their chances for the playoffs. Energia beat Pitesti in the previous round while Timisoara dispatched of fellow townies Timba. The game will start at 19:15 on Saturday and will be LIVE on Digisport 3.

BCM U Pitesti - BC Mures Tirgu Mures is one of the interesting games of the round regardless of the two teams' position in the standings. Pitesti is a solid team which can beat any opponent, but they had two unconvincing performances in the championship this year, beating Timba after OT at home and losing to Tirgu Jiu on the road. BC Mures are at their 3rd consecutive road game splitting the first two. BC Mures is in desperate need of a victory to keep their playoff hopes alive, while Pitesti will want to stop their slump in order to maintain their top 4 place for the first round. 

Pitesti parted with two foreign players and now have only six, but BC Mures still have seven, so it will be interesting to see who will sit out this encounter. The game will start at 19:50 on Sunday and will be LIVE on Digisport 1.

Timba Timisoara will be the team to sit out this round.