Sport

Croats in NBA: Brilliant Bogdanovic Scores 31 Points, Zubac Sets Season Record

By 6 February 2021

February 6, 2021 - It was a great night for Croats in the NBA, as the brilliant Bogdanovic scores 31 points, and Ivica Zubac sets a new season record. 

Bojan Bogdanovic played perhaps the most complete game of his career, leading the Utah Jazz to a new victory and helped the club set a new three-point record, reports Index.hr.

Utah defeated Charlotte 138:121 away, scoring 26 three-pointers, the most in its history. Bogdanovic excelled with 31 points, seven rebounds, and five assists; he was 10/15 for field goals, 7/10 for three-pointers, and 4/4 from the free-throw line.

He was especially hot in the third quarter when he scored four three-pointers just a minute and a half apart!

This is his second game of the season in which he has surpassed 30 points, equaled his best rebound and three-point performance of the season, and has only had more assists once.

After a poor shooting start to the season, which could be attributed to joint surgery, a long pause, and needing to find his rhythm, Bogdanovic has averaged 26.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in the last five games, with a field goal percentage of 60% and a three-point percentage of 58.5%. 

Utah has racked up three wins since losing in Denver, meaning they have won 14 of their last 15 games and still have the best ratio in the NBA league.

Index.hr also reports that Ivica Zubac hit all seven field goals and achieved a season-record 14 points, but his LA Clippers lost at home to Boston 119:115.

The Clippers were without Paul George and Patrick Beverley, and the Celtics without Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart. Boston was led by Jayson Tatum with 34 points and the Clippers by Kawhi Leonard with 28 points.

Zubac spent a little over 20 minutes on the court, scoring 14 points, six rebounds, and one block, all with a perfect 7/7 for field goals. Offensively, he dominated against the smaller and physically weaker center lineup of Boston.

“His presence was huge,” coach Ty Lue said after the game. 

Zubac's best performance so far this season was 13 points against Atlanta and recorded the most in his career when he scored 26 points in January 2019, still in the LA Lakers jersey, a few weeks before the Clippers trade.

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