In the blink of an eye, Klemen Prepelic’s night went from one he might have wanted to forget to one he will remember forever. Joventut Badalona sharpshooter, who entered Round 3 averaging 23.5 points, was basically a non-factor against the visiting Darussafaka Tekfen Istanbul.
With the game tied at 82, Harangody passed to Prepelic a couple steps away, deep in the backcourt. Prepelic had time only to take a dribble to his left, step forward and launch a prayer from around his own free throw line.
Overtime seemed assured as the ball flew the length of the court. Instead of overtime, however, there was Prepelic’s shot rattling in for a stunning victory.
“It’s a great feeling!”, Prepelic said in an on-court interview minutes later. “When I shot the ball I saw it was on a good line. I didn’t expect it to go in, but sometimes you need a bit of luck to beat a great team like Darussafaka.”
It was one of the greatest game-winners in EuroCup history and an early birthday present for Prepelic, who is just four days shy of his 27th birthday.