We can analyze it though. We can blame the terrible financial state of the team, we can blame all the injuries, we can call it bribe, we can shame the absolutely not impartial referees, we can even call political tailwind. The fact will still remain fact. We could not win even one game during the final.
At the beginning we warmed up.
Little Mara, everyone’s angel helped Marinković to warm up
The boys were wearing these T-shirts during the warm-up. They are for the benefit of Humanitarna fondacija Novi Beograd
Pavlović warms up
A handful of Partizan-fans were allowed only, but they overscreamed red fans even in the beginning, holding torches, making smoke. In the first quarter the two teams battled bitterly with clenched teeth. It was a nip and tuck game, the standing was 16:16 soon before the end. There was a great fight on the court, Zvezda pressured one more basket into the ring (18:16), the end result of the quarter was 18:17 after Marinković scored 1 from free throw.
In the beginning of the second half we took the lead. Milutinov dunked Pavlović’s rebound. What is more, Milosavljević scored a giant 3-pointer from at least 8 metres (18:22). In the meantime Pavlović was wrestling with two Zvezda-players. The referee didn’t whistle, instead he let Zvezda equalize. That’s the right thing to do, isn’t it, Mr. Referee?... (22:22) Never mind, Mačvan took us back the lead (22:24). Kalinić rubbed himself to Pavlović with a homoerotic twerking, hoping for the referee to whistle foul (he did). Despite all we kept our advantage. At 23:26 Andrić scored a 3-pointer (23:29). Kalinić took full advantage of the "moron idiot" mode, but eventually he was freaked out when the referees validated Andrić’s next score (23:31), even though he, or rather He, Nikola Kalinić personally smashed the ball off the backboard, just when it was about to fall into the ring. (Rules of basketball say it clearly: when the ball is about to fall into the ring, but an opponent player blocks it right before it touches the ring, it must be still validated as a regular score.) Mitrović also yelled at Andrić after referees whistled the 3rd foul on Zvezda’s player. Yet this was the point when the fuse was blown for the referees. They gave a lot of free throws to Zvezda while whistling foul for Partizan-players, one after the other. Zvezda reduced the difference to 27:31. At this point Mačvan, Milosavljević and Milutinov put their reserve energies into action and increased the difference to 27:37. Our advantage was 10 points. We could have made it for the half-time, but referees just had to whistle a free throw for Zvezda right before the buzz. (28:37)
Fans again sent their greetings to everyone
When 3rd quarter started, the stream collapsed. A desperate search for a working one started - thanks to KLS’s stream I could see Zvezda brutally reduced their difference.
I wish I didn’t see that.
At first it was 33:39
at this point I found ArenaSport 2’s stream, thank God. I watched the first half on RTS - their speaker was beneath criticism
then it was 44:44. What the hell was going on?... Did these red-white striped trolls lick plutonium in the locker-room during half time or what?...
And then came the coup de grace. Right at the buzz.
The referees validated it. Rules say, if the player drops the ball, and the ball leaves his hands still before the buzz, the score must be validated. Well, after numerous re-watching I’m still not sure whether Zirbes threw the ball before or after the buzz. I admit though, I’m not impartial.
We finished the third quarter with 46:44.
It quickly became 48:44. Kalinić pushed Mačvan to the floor within the paint, but the referees didn’t mind it. We kept the pace even though everything was against us. Red fans yelled disgusting swearings on Partizan-players, referees openly favoured Zvezda, but despite all we kept ourselves to 50:48. Again it looked like whenever we had a chance to reduce the difference, equalize, or God forbid, took back the lead, Zvezda immediately got a free throw gift to keep them safe. That’s how 50:48 quickly became 54:48. Yet when Tepić was pushed down to the ground heavily, and someone from Zvezda squeezed the ball out of his hands, nobody whistled (maybe only Partizan-fans, as the sign of their disapprove). But when someone from Partizan wanted to tackle Kalinić, referees immediately whistled foul. There were only 9 seconds left. We got a free throw. Milosavljević stood to the paint.
And a rotten bastard from the red mass dazzled him with a laser pointer. The green laser dot was clearly seen in the replay.
May your hand rot off your arms, you lousy moron, who did it.
The Captain missed out the first throw, well, no wonder. He scored from the second. 56:54.
9 seconds left. Hell broke loose on the court. Players were wrestling and fighting. And in the very last moment referees gave a free throw to Zvezda, because it couldn’t have happened any other way.
58:54.
The end.
Players went up to the tribune among fans at the end
They were a bit out of clothes when they walked back to the locker-room, but this time nobody bothered
Mačvan will not stay at Partizan. He himself announced, he’d play at another team in the next season (no details yet).
Rumours say, Dragan Milosavljević might also leave for Spain
(Photos: Twitter)
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