35 minuta pre početka meča XVII kola @ABA_League protiv Igokee, igrači Partizana su izašli na zagrevanje. pic.twitter.com/iPyHtt6kj1
— KK Partizan NIS (@PartizanBC) December 27, 2015
We warmed up...
(photos: Twitter)
...then we walked out to the court and immediately turned the standing from 2:3 to 5:3 with Wilson’s 3-pointer.
There were a very saddeningly little amount of audience in Pionir Hall. You can see on the upper photo how empty the stands are. During the game the sports hall got a bit more filled with people, but the official statistics still talk about not more than 2500 spectators.
Wilson was on full speed. He ran through the court, threw baskets, either from rebound or from free throw, the way it was just needed. The others followed his footsteps, Vrabac, Vitkovac, Cvetković, Jones, Murić all scored. For the end of the first half we were leading with more than 10 points (22:11).
(photo: aba-liga.com)
In the second quarter our advantage was still around 9 points, though around here it started to be a bit annoying that we just couldn’t throw one single 3-pointer.
The last one we managed to score was by Cvetković in the first quarter. I think I won’t spoil the end by telling you, we couldn’t score any 3-pointer for quite a long time ahead.
Not scoring any 3-pointers was just one side of the problem, but on the other, even our 2-pointer attempts failed. The ball either rebounded from the ring or we were blocked by Igokea-players. But never mind, we could still keep up our advantage. The closest Igokea could get to us was 4 points (28:24), but Wilson, Anđušić and Milutinović (with his last-minute score) ensured everyone that we are in control. We finished the second quarter with 34:28.
The only flaw of this confident leading was that it was more and more difficult for us to score, as the half-time approached. Even this last action by Milutinović was in fact a free throw. But let’s not be voracious, we are leading with 6 points, aren’t we?
(photo: aba-liga.com)
Then came the third quarter.
In the beginning it was 38:28, nobody suspected anything.
Then Igokea made it to 38:34, Petar Božić quickly asked for time-out. Then Wilson scored (40:34).
The problem was that after two and a half quarters Igokea found out that they can in fact throw 3-pointers. (40:37).
No problem, Milutinoivć threw a basket, with one bonus shot (43:37).
But Igokea equalized (43:43). Murić could score a 3-pointer (46:43), but even this didn’t help. Igokea took the lead (46:48). Anđušić equalized (48:48), but before the end buzz Igokea scored again. 48:50, buzz, we had a short time to find our breaths and then we had to enter the final part.
If I smoked, at this point I would have surely lighted a cigarette with a dry smile and a shrug. But I don’t smoke. I was just drumming nervously with the pen I was making notes with during the game, sometimes facepalming, sometimes just with a weary sigh.
(photos: aba-liga.com)
The last quarter was controlled by Igokea. We couldn’t even approach them. The closest standing was 50:52 in the beginning of the quarter, after Vrabac’s free throw. Nothing, just nothing worked for us. None of the players had any significant performance - maybe Wilson, at the beginning of the match, but later he faded and was unremarkable.
I have an always stronger impression about Anđušić that he can’t wait for his contract to expire with Partizan, so he can leave and find some other team. From an outsider’s point of view it seems, he invests more energy even into caring for his social media profiles than into his performance on matches. Maybe it’s not just a co-incidence that he appears less and less on court lately.
It was a physical pain to watch Partizan in the last quarter. After a while Igokea was leading with 10 points (52:62). We tried to reduce the difference, but it got back to 10 points after a while (56:66). Anđušić tried with a 3-pointer, but still, the difference was still 8 points (60:68). Igokea scored again (60:70). Wilson reduced it to 66:70, but all his scores were from free throws. Igokea mercilessly threw a 3-pointer 45 seconds before the end (66:73).
That was the end of all.
We screwed it up
Very much
(photos: hotsport.rs)
Nobody wants to be now in the place of Petar Božić.
(photo: aba-liga.com)
As Fellow Fan added a sharp but true comment at the end of the game: we should pray.
Highlights:
KK Partizan: Cvetković (5), Aranitović (2), Jones (8), Murić (5), Marinković (2), Vitkovac (4), Đumić, Magdevski, Milutinović (6), Vrabac (5), Wilson (20), Anđušić (9)
Igokea: Pašajlić, Krstić (10), Ćapin (8), Pešaković (2), Kesar (5), Mikulić, Booker (12), Milošević (3), Radenović (7), Radivojević (26), Talić
League table will be brought later.
Update: current standing of the League
1. Budućnost 32 points
2. Cedevita 31 points
3. CZ 30 points
4. Mega Leks 28 points
5. Krka 25 points
6. MZT Skopje 24 points
7. Cibona 24 points
8. Tajfun Šentjur 24 points
9. Zadar 24 points
10. Metalac 24 points
11. Union Olimpija 23 points
12. Igokea 23 points
13. Partizan 23 points
14. Sutjeska 22 points
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