# 2018–19 Slovenian Basketball League

The 2018–19 Slovenian Basketball League, also known as Liga Nova KBM due to sponsorship reasons, is the 28th season of the Premier A Slovenian Basketball League. Olimpija are the defending champions.

## Format
### Regular season

In the first phase, ten teams competed in a home-and-away round-robin series (18 games total). All teams advanced from the regular season to one of two postseason stages, depending on their league position.

### Second phase

The top six teams from the regular season advanced to the championship phase. These teams started the second phase from scratch, with no results carrying over from the regular season. Each team played a total of 10 games in this phase; as in the regular season, a home-and-away round-robin was used.
The bottom four teams entered a home-and-away round-robin mini-league where two best teams qualify to quarterfinals. Each teams plays 9 games in this phase.

#### Playoffs

Eight teams joined the playoffs.

## Teams
### Venues and locations

| Club | Location | Venue | Capacity |
| Helios Suns | Domžale | Komunalni center Hall | 2,500 |
| Hopsi | Polzela | ŠD Polzela | 1,800 |
| Krka | Novo Mesto | ŠD Leona Štuklja | 2,500 |
| Ilirija | Ljubljana | Tivoli Hall | 4,000 |
| Petrol Olimpija | Ljubljana | Arena Stožice | 12,500 |
| Rogaška | Rogaška Slatina | ŠD Rogaška Slatina | 800 |
| Šenčur | Šenčur | ŠD Šenčur | 800 |
| Sixt Primorska | Koper | Arena Bonifika | 5,000 |
| Šentjur | Šentjur | Dvorana OŠ Hruševec | 700 |
| Zlatorog Laško | Laško | Tri Lilije Hall | 2,500 |
* Teams that play in the 2018–19 Adriatic League
* Teams that play in the 2018–19 Adriatic League Second Division
* Teams that play in the 2018-19 Alpe Adria Cup

### Personnel and kits

| Team | President | Coach | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
| Helios Suns | David Kubala | Dejan Jakara | Jure Močnik | Spalding | Helios |
| Hopsi Polzela | Matej Jelen | Boštjan Kuhar | Uroš Godler | Macron | — |
| Ilirija | Edvard Reven | Saša Dončić | Tevž Ružič | Spalding | — |
| Krka | Andraž Šuštarič | Simon Petrov | Jure Balažič | Žolna Šport | Krka |
| Petrol Olimpija | Tomaž Berločnik | Jure Zdovc | Mirza Begić | Peak | Petrol |
| Rogaška | Kristijan Novak | Damjan Novaković | Miha Vašl | Nike | — |
| Sixt Primorska | Bojan Čad | Jurica Golemac | Alen Hodžić | Nike | Sixt |
| Šenčur | Janko Sekne | Konstantin Subotić | Smiljan Pavič | Macron | Gorenjska gradbena družba |
| Šentjur | Dušan Debenak | Jakša Vulić | Tomaž Jereb | Luanvi | — |
| Zlatorog Laško | Tanja Seme | Chris Thomas | Nejc Barič | Spalding | Pivovarna Laško |

### Managerial changes

| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
| Zlatorog Laško | Aleš Pipan | End of contact | – | Pre-season | Chris Thomas | 27 July 2018 |
| Helios Suns | Jovan Beader | Sacked | 12 November 2018 | 9th (1–4) | Dejan Jakara | 12 November 2018 |
| Petrol Olimpija | Zoran Martič | Mutual consent | 18 November 2018 | 1st (4–2) | Saša Nikitović | 19 November 2018 |
| Šenčur | Rade Mijanović | Sacked | 30 December 2018 | 9th (4–6) | Konstantin Subotić | 1 January 2019 |
| Petrol Olimpija | Saša Nikitović | Mutual consent | 19 February 2019 | 4th (10–8) | Jure Zdovc | 19 February 2019 |

## Regular season
### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Sixt Primorska | 18 | 13 | 5 | 1525 | 1330 | +195 | 31 | Qualification to championship group |
| 2 | Krka | 18 | 12 | 6 | 1466 | 1374 | +92 | 30 | Qualification to championship group |
| 3 | Rogaška | 18 | 11 | 7 | 1454 | 1468 | −14 | 29 | Qualification to championship group |
| 4 | Petrol Olimpija | 18 | 10 | 8 | 1422 | 1426 | −4 | 28 | Qualification to championship group |
| 5 | Hopsi Polzela | 18 | 10 | 8 | 1465 | 1390 | +75 | 28 | Qualification to championship group |
| 6 | Helios Suns | 18 | 9 | 9 | 1342 | 1342 | 0 | 27 | Qualification to championship group |
| 7 | Zlatorog Laško | 18 | 9 | 9 | 1392 | 1433 | −41 | 27 | Qualification to relegation group |
| 8 | Šentjur | 18 | 8 | 10 | 1397 | 1427 | −30 | 26 | Qualification to relegation group |
| 9 | Šenčur | 18 | 7 | 11 | 1416 | 1445 | −29 | 25 | Qualification to relegation group |
| 10 | Ilirija | 18 | 1 | 17 | 1381 | 1625 | −244 | 19 | Qualification to relegation group |

### Results

| Home \ Away | HEL | POL | ILI | KRK | UOL | ROG | SEN | TAJ | PRI | ZLA |
| Helios Suns | — | 76–77 | 78–60 | 65–77 | 72–60 | 75–82 | 59–64 | 59–71 | 84–77 | 87–65 |
| Hopsi Polzela | 68–52 | — | 85–74 | 84–67 | 76–78 | 90–100 | 99–76 | 74–60 | 83–93 | 72–77 |
| Ilirija | 76–85 | 73–104 | — | 83–85 | 74–104 | 74–75 | 62–81 | 78–82 | 80–87 | 69–80 |
| Krka | 66–65 | 84–58 | 97–91 | — | 91–69 | 81–60 | 77–85 | 86–65 | 90–100 | 79–68 |
| Petrol Olimpija | 68–76 | 98–95 | 86–65 | 76–92 | — | 99–81 | 82–70 | 76–72 | 81–61 | 72–83 |
| Rogaška | 78–91 | 69–85 | 106–99 | 80–76 | 87–66 | — | 85–81 | 88–74 | 70–64 | 75–77 |
| Šenčur | 90–101 | 80–85 | 81–85 | 90–86 | 85–62 | 79–81 | — | 78–66 | 77–89 | 83–80 |
| Šentjur | 75–81 | 84–64 | 100–98 | 86–73 | 89–98 | 77–80 | 85–72 | — | 88–94 | 77–71 |
| Sixt Primorska | 97–50 | 92–65 | 117–67 | 64–66 | 80–63 | 87–79 | 75–66 | 92–76 | — | 84–53 |
| Zlatorog Laško | 91–86 | 57–101 | 92–73 | 85–93 | 77–84 | 93–78 | 86–78 | 65–70 | 92–72 | — |

## Championship group
### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Sixt Primorska | 10 | 10 | 0 | 818 | 650 | +168 | 20 | Qualification to playoffs |
| 2 | Petrol Olimpija | 10 | 7 | 3 | 726 | 677 | +49 | 17 | Qualification to playoffs |
| 3 | Hopsi Polzela | 10 | 5 | 5 | 727 | 763 | −36 | 15 | Qualification to playoffs |
| 4 | Krka | 10 | 4 | 6 | 766 | 751 | +15 | 14 | Qualification to playoffs |
| 5 | Rogaška | 10 | 3 | 7 | 740 | 833 | −93 | 13 | Qualification to playoffs |
| 6 | Helios Suns | 10 | 1 | 9 | 691 | 794 | −103 | 11 | Qualification to playoffs |

### Results

| Home \ Away | HEL | POL | KRK | UOL | ROG | PRI |
| Helios Suns | — | 84–75 | 76–84 | 63–69 | 80–82 | 67–68 |
| Hopsi Polzela | 83–61 | — | 82–81 | 65–59 | 81–76 | 63–81 |
| Krka | 86–58 | 81–61 | — | 65–70 | 99–69 | 62–85 |
| Petrol Olimpija | 74–66 | 93–72 | 79–60 | — | 66–58 | 72–85 |
| Rogaška | 90–83 | 69–85 | 90–80 | 70–75 | — | 67–95 |
| Sixt Primorska | 83–53 | 78–60 | 81–68 | 73–69 | 89–69 | — |

## Relegation group
### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Šenčur | 15 | 10 | 5 | 1213 | 1141 | +72 | 25 | Qualification to playoffs |
| 2 | Zlatorog Laško | 15 | 9 | 6 | 1199 | 1119 | +80 | 24 | Qualification to playoffs |
| 3 | Šentjur | 15 | 8 | 7 | 1133 | 1180 | −47 | 23 | |
| 4 | Ilirija | 15 | 3 | 12 | 1149 | 1254 | −105 | 18 | Relegation |

### Results

| Home \ Away | ILI | SEN | TAJ | ZLA | ILI | SEN | TAJ | ZLA |
| Ilirija | — | 79–71 | 64–60 | 86–89 | — | — | — | 82–93 |
| Šenčur | 84–75 | — | 92–82 | 74–69 | 94–81 | — | — | — |
| Šentjur | 71–67 | 71–69 | — | 78–81 | 90–77 | 85–96 | — | — |
| Zlatorog Laško | 86–73 | 71–81 | 76–57 | — | — | 64–79 | 96–59 | — |

## Playoffs

Seeded teams played at home games 1, 3 and, in the finals, 5.

### Bracket

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| Sixt Primorska | 2 | | |
| Zlatorog Laško | 0 | | |
| Zlatorog Laško | 0 | Sixt Primorska | 2 |
| | | Krka | 0 |
| Krka | 2 | Krka | 0 |
| Rogaška | 0 | | | | |
| Rogaška | 0 | | | Sixt Primorska | 3 |
| | | | | Petrol Olimpija | 0 |
| Petrol Olimpija | 2 | | | Petrol Olimpija | 0 |
| Šenčur | 1 | | | | |
| Šenčur | 1 | Petrol Olimpija | 2 | | |
| | | Helios Suns | 0 |
| Hopsi Polzela | 0 | Helios Suns | 0 |
| Helios Suns | 2 | | |

### Quarter–finals

| Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
| Sixt Primorska | 2–0 | Zlatorog Laško | 98–74 | 89–68 | – |
| Petrol Olimpija | 2–1 | Šenčur | 79–77 | 70–73 | 85–73 |
| Hopsi Polzela | 0–2 | Helios Suns | 82–95 | 78–80 | – |
| Krka | 2–0 | Rogaška | 77–73 | 80–74 | – |

### Semi-finals

| Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
| Sixt Primorska | 2–0 | Krka | 85–74 | 88–76 | – |
| Petrol Olimpija | 2–0 | Helios Suns | 74–60 | 68–49 | – |

### Finals

| Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 |
| Sixt Primorska | 3–0 | Petrol Olimpija | 79–61 | 76–75 | 68–63 | – | – |

## Awards
### Regular Season MVP

* Davor Konjević (Šentjur)

### Season MVP

* Marjan Čakarun (Sixt Primorska)

### Finals MVP

* Marjan Čakarun (Sixt Primorska)

### All-League Team

* Jan Špan (Petrol Olimpija)
* Blaž Mahkovic (Helios Suns)
* Donovon Jack (Hopsi Polzela)
* Marko Jagodić-Kuridža (Sixt Primorska)
* Marjan Čakarun (Sixt Primorska)

### Regular Season Team

* Nejc Barič (Zlatorog)
* Blaž Mahkovic (Helios Suns)
* Marko Jagodić-Kuridža (Sixt Primorska)
* Davor Konjević (Šentjur)
* Ramo Rizvić (Šenčur)

### Weekly MVP
## Statistical leaders

| Performance Index Rating Pos Player Club PIR 1 Davor Konjević Šentjur 22.37 2 Matur Maker Zlatorog 18 3 L. D. Williams Ilirja 16.86 | Points Pos Player Club PPG 1 Davor Konjević Šentjur 19.96 2 L. D. Williams Ilirja 18.43 3 Blaž Mahkovic Helios Suns 16.54 |
| Rebounds Pos Player Club RPG 1 Matur Maker Zlatorog 9.59 2 Davor Konjević Šentjur 7.96 3 Dino Murić Šenčur 6.90 | Assists Pos Player Club APG 1 Žan Mark Šiško Sixt Primorska 6.83 2 Joshua Heath Ilirija 6.00 3 Casey Benson Hopsi Polzela 5.72 |

## Clubs in European competitions

| Team | Competition | Progress |
| Petrol Olimpija | Champions League | Regular season |