U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade remained alive for the 2016 EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL ADIDAS NEXT GENERATION TOURNAMENT Finals Championship Game by beating and eliminating reigning champion U18 Real Madrid 69-79 in Group B. Borisa Simanic collected 19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 7 blocks while Aleksa Radanov scored 14 points and both Matija Radovic and Aleksa Uskokovic added 12 points as Zvezda improved to 2-1 in the group. The 2014 ANGT champion and 2015 finalist Zvezda will need help to return to its third straight final. The Serbian side, which would have booked a spot in the title game with a 13-point win, will reach the final if U18 ALBA Berlin beat U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius in the final game of group play, If Lietuvos Rytas win, it will reach the final. Madrid lost in another battle with Zvevzda, its Championship Game opponent in the past two seasons. Dino Radoncic scored 16 points to lead Madrid, which moved to 2-1, while Felipe Dos Anjos had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Radovic opened the game for Zvezda with a three-pointer and Simanic made it 0-5 before Samba Ndiaye got Madrid on the scoreboard. Radanov’s triple pushed the lead to 2-8, but Dos Anjos hit a three-pointer and converted a three-point play in a 10-0 spurt as Madrid went up 12-8. Radanov’s three-point play stopped the run but Madrid answered with the next 6 points to move ahead 18-11. Uskokovic hit 2 baskets and Stefan Dordevic scored to get Zvezda within 20-17. Madrid followed with 5 straight points before Petar Rebic’s triple to make it 24-20 after 10 minutes. Mihailo Jovicic opened the second quarter with a three-ball, which Simanic answered later with a three-point play to keep Zvezda within 29-25. Ndiaye re-established a 7-point lead with a three-point play but Radanov scored 5 straight points to make it 32-30. Radoncic finally scored his first points on 2 free throws with 3:38 minutes to play in the second quarter. Jovicic followed with another triple and Dos Anjos scored 2 more baskets as the Madrid cushion was up to 43-35. Radanov gave Zvezda a boost going into the locker room with a trey to pull within 43-38.

After Simanic’s basket to start the second half, Radoncic followed with 5 straight points as the champs went up 48-41. Zvezda answered with 6 straight points and another 0-6 spurt put Zvezda ahead 54-56. Zvezda led 56-58 after 30 minutes. Simanic opened the fourth quarter to push the gap to 56-60 only to be answered by a Radoncic triple with 6 minutes left - Madrid’s first points of the period. A Corovic three-point play made it 61-67 and then Rebic knocked down a corner three-ball as the lead grew to 62-70. Madrid knew it only needed to win to get into the final but the champs could not score as Simanic blocked Radoncic twice in one possession. But Zvezda ran out of time to get the necessary 13-point victory it needed to secure a definite spot in the final as Ballespin and Radoncic combined for 3 free throws in the final 34 seconds.