Trepça and Bashkimi begin their playoff run from the semi-final stage. And both teams are considered favorites to make it to the finals of the additional competitions of the Kosovo Super League in basketball.
Bashkimi faces Bora Prishtina, with the first match taking place on Wednesday at 19:30 at the "Sezai Surroi" gym in Prizren.
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Letter to the Reader — Why We're Asking for Your Support ContributeMeanwhile, Trepça plays against Peja. The first match is on Thursday at 19:30 at "Minatori".
The semi-finals are played to the best of three games. And there are many reasons why Trepça and Bashkimi are favored to qualify for the final.
Bashkimi finished the regular season in second place with a record of 20 wins and eight losses. And they had enough time to prepare for the semifinals with Bora, a team without tradition and without fan support. The support of the fans, and of course, the possible fifth match in Prizren, is another factor that favors Bashkimi. This team also has tradition, while with Bora in the regular season they had two wins and two losses.
However, they defeated the Pristina team convincingly in the final round, 96:70.
Bora easily made it to the quarterfinals, also convincingly winning both matches against Prishtina. Bora has achieved its goals and the fact that it does not have the pressure of a result can work in its favor. Bora finished the regular season in third place with 14 wins and 14 losses.
The reigning champion, Trepça, was unrivaled in the regular season. The Mitrovica team scored a total of 25 wins, while suffering only three defeats. It finished first and was free in the semifinals. The “Xehetarët” in the Super League are on a streak of 20 wins. Their last loss was to Vëllaznimi, on December 7. They had one loss to Bashkimi and one to Peja, within the first round, at “Minatori” on October 5.
Due to their complete dominance in recent years, their long unbeaten streak, and their consolidated and stable team, Trepça is considered the favorite for the playoffs. Trepça has already won the Kosovo Cup.
Peja finished the regular season in fifth place with 11 wins and 17 losses. They have struggled for consistency almost throughout the season, but their form picked up in the quarterfinals of the playoffs. After losing the first game in Suhareka, they won against Golden Eagle Yllit at home and away and made it to the semifinals. Now the Peja team aims to go even higher – to the finals.