THE West Adelaide Bearcats are still in the hunt for the 2024 National Basketball League (NBL)1 Central Men’s Championship after Fabijan Krslovic led them to an elimination final win over the Central Districts Lions.

The two teams faced off in a do-or-die clash at Port Adelaide Recreation Centre on Saturday night, with the Bearcats owning home court advantage after finishing high on the ladder. At their best, both sides are capable of posting a big score, so it was going to be an entertaining matchup.

West Adelaide had the perfect start to the match, posting 30 points in the opening period to lead by 12 at the first change, taking full advantage of a fired up crowd. However, the Lions returned serve to make it just a one-point game at half time. Proceedings were all tied up heading into the fourth, and it was anyone’s game with 10 minutes to play. In the end, the Bearcats stormed home with a 36-24 final term to eliminate Central Districts and claim a 110-98 win.

Krslovic was an absolute monster in the win, posting an enormous double-double to stamp his authority on the NBL1 Central Men’s Finals Series.

West Adelaide Bearcats (110) def. Central Districts Lions (98)

Fabijan Krslovic – 26 points, 20 rebounds, seven assists, two steals

Fresh off winning a championship with the Tasmania JackJumpers in the NBL, Krslovic showed his ability to take over a match on the big stage over the weekend.

He produced one of his most damaging performances of 2024 on the offensive end, posting 26 points to be the second-highest scorer on his team, trailing only JackJumpers teammate Anthony Drmic (39 points).

The big man shot 10/19 from the field, and was able to score from all three levels and make life difficult for his opponent. He even knocked down three triples on five attempts from behind the arc, punishing the opposition for leaving him open on the perimeter.

On the glass, Krslovic was unmatched, pulling down 20 of the Bearcats’ 42 rebounds for the match in a tireless showing. He looked to box out his opponent wherever possible, and timed his leaps well when chasing the ball. Six of these came on the offensive end, which helped him on the scoring front as he produced several putbacks.

He was even a damaging playmaker, finding Drmic in the right spot on multiple occasions and helping draw the defence in when attacking the basket, posting seven dimes for the match.

Krslovic showed his workrate and class in West Adelaide’s most important match to date in 2024, and will again be a factor when it takes on the Sturt Sabres in the semifinals.