KK Partizan - Crvena Zvezda 86:87 (play-off, final, 2nd match)

Fuck you all, whores.
It’s just impossible. It’s just... no.
First we presented how to gain a 20-point-advantage in full cross-wind, while the referees openly support the opponent.
Then we presented how to lose this 20-point-advantage.
Finally we presented how much a basketball team can be humiliated.
And all these we presented before the very eyes of a lot of old friends. So many of them came to support the team.

Aleksandar Atanasijević (right), OK Partzan’s former player and his company

Nikola Ninković was also back from Italy

(photos: hotsport.rs)

Miroslav Bogosavac

(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

Kosta Perović

Milenko Tepić and Miloš Vujanić

(photos: hotsport.rs)

Bivši igrači Partizana Tepić,Drobnjak i Vujanić na utakmici finala plej ofa.#playoff #superliga #vecitiderbi pic.twitter.com/qnKRqETnGs

— Telegraf Sport (@TelegrafSport) June 5, 2016

In the meantime we warmed up. Magdevski was present this time, after Cvetković’s injury at the previous game.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but Magdevski still didn’t play one single minute.

Andrej Magdevski at the warm-up

(photo: Twitter)

Još malo do početka 2. utakmice @PartizanBC @kkcrvenazvezda #kls #sportmts pic.twitter.com/UiDYSowZj9

— sportmts (@tvojsvetsporta) June 5, 2016

Serbian anthem

(photo: hotsport.rs)

Then we gave it a kickstart - so much that less than 30 seconds passed when Đumić got his first personal foul. (For the middle of the quarter he got his third from the kind-hearted referees. Three is the truth, isn’t it?...) We were leading, but we struggled. The opponent used their well-working man-to-man-fight tactics, just like last time. They were aggressive, whenever a Partizan-player approached the backboard, he immediately got again at least 3 Zvezda-players in his neck. Referees were superfluous. They could have joined Zvezda’s team, nobody would have noticed it. The rate of fouls was 5:0 at the beginning

yea, for us... why, what did you think, for Zvezda?...

and it just worsened as the game was going on. (Of course free throw was always a gift at every single foul.)
Never mind. We were leading, we even made the 10-point-difference here (25:15). Murić was on fire. He made a giant block, if needed, or he stole the ball and slam dunked it or just scored, simply as that

well, at least when he was not fouled by the referees

(photo: hotsport.rs)

For the end Zvezda reduced the difference to 25:21.
The second quarter brought even more struggle. At first Murić got his 3rd foul, because why not. Then ArenaSport’s broadcast died. (Me, too.) When it came back to life, the standing was 27:26. I could just see that great moment when Novica Veličković scored a 3-pointer for Partizan after a very very long time.

At the previous game we scored no 3-pointers. We could now, at long last, in the 2nd quarter.
Though, I guess I won’t make too big spoiler if I tell you, we didn’t score that much for the rest of the game either.

Novica Veličković (here fighting with Quincey Miller)

(photo: hotsport.rs)

We were leading, we kept our advantage, meanwhile we were fouled always. Vitkovac got a technical one, when the referee made an irrational judgement for the x-th time and he lost his temper and threw the ball to the ground. We were still leading, now with 20 points (50:30), even though referees did everything to find any reason to foul us.

We used the same tactics now as Zvezda. Whenever they appeared at our backboard, their attacker got at least 3 Partizan-players on his neck. The problem was that Zvezda could use these tactics without any hiccup, while we were always fouled for this defending style.
Impartial judgement, my a.......

Wilson and Kinsey found each other again

(photo: hotsport.rs)

The half-time brought 54:37.

The atmosphere was great

The third quarter made it clear that it wouldn’t be as easy as we thought first. At the beginning Zvezda made a 8-point series (54:45), our advantage was only 9 points. Marinković and Williams made us jump to 59:47.
The atmosphere was so tensed that Wilson and Kinsey got into a fight. Teammates had to separate them... Needless to say, Wilson was fouled and Zvezda got the gift free throw (59:49).
The opponent reduced their difference step by step. Our advantage was only 7 points (60:53). Then Zvezda’s player Jović was hit with something. All that could be seen was that he runs up with the ball, then suddenly grabs his head with a painful face. Partizan-fans were singing on the top of their voice and hell breaking loose was just a few millimetres away.

Smoke above the Gravediggers-tribune some time in the 3rd quarter

(photo: Twitter)

Finally again Aleksandar Džikić had to calm down the fans.

260 000 dinars. That’s the amount of fine Partizan has to pay for the atrocities.

But oh well, we were still leading with 15 points (70:55). We kept the two-digit difference even at the end of the quarter (72:62), though these games are those that teach you the reality of match endings: matches always end when the end buzz comes. Never earlier.

Novica Veličković

Adin Vrabac

(photos: hotsport.rs)

Don’t ask what happened in the last quarter, because I have no idea.
We opened it with Murić’s 3-pointer. Excellent start (75:62). Zvezda scored back (75:64), then no baskets were threwn at all for long. None of the teams could score.
Then the opponent scored two 3-pointers and whoooppss, our advantage melted to 5 points (75:70). In the meantime referees fouled Murić twice within 40 seconds. Partizan’s Slovene got his 5th foul, he had to leave the court.

(photo: hotsport.rs)

Zvezda got a row of free throws. Our advantage was only 1 point (75:74). Zvezda took the lead for a moment (77:78), which was quickly wiped by Marinković and his giant 3-pointer (80:78). Barely 2 minutes were left. Zvezda got a free throw, but they couldn’t equalize (80:79).
But don’t be afraid, children. The kind-hearted referees gave them another free throw and then they managed (80:80).
Then Veličković took back the lead for us with an unbelievable, impossible 3-pointer from the other side of the street. (83:80)

The whole Partizan-bench is on their feet...

(photos: Twitter)

Veličković scored, Pionir Hall exploded

(photo: hotsport.rs)

(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

It was already the last minute. There was a hand-to-hand combat on the court between the players of the two teams. Referees fouled Vrabac, Zvezda got the gift (83:82). The combat continued, now we got a free trhow. Jones scored (85:82). Only 19 seconds were left. Zvezda’s coach asked for time-out. Then we came back to the court and here the referees fouled Williams with a trumped-up reason. Hell broke loose. You can watch it.

Our advantage was only 1 point. 11 seconds were left, when we got a free throw. Wilson scored one (86:84).
What came here, has no explanation. Only 6 seconds were left, when Gudurić got the ball, and then he threw it from a distance, probably thinking something like "whatever, what could happen".
He scored.
86:87
Time was up. We could only have a threw-in from behind the baseline, but even that only because the regulations say that the end buzz can come only when the ball is in play.
We lost.

I don’t know what happened. Really. I’ve been thinking of this since last night. We screwed up a 20-point difference. I can’t help but think of Duško Vujošević. Such a thing could have never happened during his era. Dule would have torn off each player’s head in live broadcast, ignoring the cameras around him. Something was missing from this team. They fought, they battled, but...
...but for God’s sake, I could see this fighting spirit from the Dule-times only on Novica Veličković. Only him. For this he deserves a big salutation from you.
I don’t know if that’s the maximum Aleksandar Džikić can bring out of the players, or players themselves can’t jump higher than this level. At the previous game we lost with 31 points, now we wasted a 20-point advantage. All these in a championship final, against the eternal enemy. (If we had done the same against e.g. Barcelona or Fenerbahce, I’d keep silent. They are world-renowned teams.)
I have no idea what can be behind it, but one thing is sure, it can’t go on like this.

(photos: hotsport.rs)

.@PartizanBC #mondaymotivation #svikaojedan @NovicaV12 pic.twitter.com/r83EZ3uHC1

— sportmts (@tvojsvetsporta) June 6, 2016

(photos: hotsport.rs)

The third game will be on Tuesday from 21:00. ArenaSport 1 will be broadcast it live.

KK Partizan: Aranitović (9), Jones (10), Murić (9), Marinković (6), Veličković (17), Vitkovac (4), Đumić, Magdevski, Milutinović, Williams (13), Vrabac, Wilson (18)

Crvena Zvezda: Kinsey (13), Rebić, Dangubić (13), Mitrović (8), Lazić (8), Micić (10), Simonović, Gudurić (11), Jović (13), Miller (6), Zirbes (13), Štimac (2)

KK Partizan - FMP 87:78 (play-off, semifinal, 3rd match)

We won. We qualified to the final. We sweated blood, all odds were against us, but finally justice has won.
A few hours before the game some rumours started to circle around the net reporting that FMP (allegedly) had decided to leave the court if Partizan-fans start to mock again Vesna Čović, as they did at the previous home game. This way they would made scandal and perhaps they could squeeze out of the basketball association to suspend us from the championship.

Последња информација: Ови смрдљивци из Железника добили су дефинитивне инструкције да напусте терен након првог скандира...
Posted by Partizan is life on Wednesday, June 1, 2016

After this Partizan-fans got an unexpected and unpleasant surprise at the entrance of Pionir Hall: a group of raging Crvena Zvezda-fans.

Nobody called them (maybe uncle Čoki did, but he doesn’t count)

(photos: Twitter)

A couple of beloved friends were present at the game.

International tae-kwon-do champion Milica Mandić...

...and Joffrey Lauvergne, who got a warm welcome from fans

(photos: Twitter)

Meanwhile the team warmed up.

(photos: Twitter)

During the national anthem I just had to make this screenshot. Filip Čović in life size.

Mr. Minority

(screenshot/ArenaSport 1)

Referees made us clear at the beginning that they dislike us. FMP brought their usual aggressive foul court press tactics again, but this time we didn’t keep ourself back from this man-to-man fight, but bravely entered. The only problem was that we were fouled for these fights and not the opponent.
It still looked so that things work fine. We were leading to 10:4, FMP’s head coach nervously asked for time-out. While the fans...
Hats off to Partizan-fans, they really didn’t chant that ominous "Čović Vesna, j..... se k’o besna"-rhyme.
Instead they chanted everything else.

Navijači Partizana gromoglasno navijaju protiv FMP-a #superliga #playoff pic.twitter.com/Cw8lrOPKHf

— Telegraf Sport (@TelegrafSport) June 1, 2016

After all, this was not forbidden...
In the meantime we reached the two-digit difference (16:6). Wilson and Jones were in excellent shape. Vitkovac threw a hook from an impossible angle (21:9) while a defender was hanging on his neck. Murić had a giant block, for which he was fouled, but when he was brutally blocked at the other side, the referees just waved "go on". However we finished the first part with 24:10.

Partizan-fans in the first quarter

(photo: Twitter)

For the second quarter it was clear that FMP can play the big boss only when they are at home, when only their own fans are around, and the only reason referees don’t wear FMP-shirts is because it would be too obvious. At an away court, against a (much more) professional team FMP is still an average countryside group of players. Partizan was leading with 15 points (29:14), and fans could still find a way to mock Mme Čović. The two sides of the tribune chanted in turns saying
Iiiiiiima jeeeeeedan tim...
...VESNA!
Ceo sam život s njiiiiiim...
...VESNA!
And so on.

It was genious. No curse words, no vulgarities, but it was still clear-cut.

We were leading to 35:16. As soon as a Partizan-player tried to throw the ball into the ring (especially if it was to be a hook), at least 4 FMP-players jumped on him. Our advantage was still confident, we were leading to 41:26 in the half-time. Vrabac scored a fantastic 3-pointer just 5 seconds before the end buzz.

Edo Murić, while he was still on the court

(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

The beginning of the third quarter looked smooth. We were leading to 46:30, then to 54:36 (with the amazing teamwork of Jones and Marinković), but the referees whistled off impossible things as foul. Of course only for us, to be able to give gift free throws to FMP. Despite their efforts we could rise upt to 20 points of difference (57:37). Vrabac had a giant block, the slow motion replay even showed FMP’s player fumbling it away, but still Vrabac was fouled. Then Veličković got a bonus shot at 62:46. He threw the ball, it seemed to rebound, but still could have fallen into the ring, if an FMP-player hadn’t slapped it off, ending it as a defensive rebound - the referee didn’t whistle. We could still keep our advantage (66:50), though the guest team had a more and more aggressive game. The third part ended with 69:52, but the worst was yet to come.

Vrabac and Wilson help Williams to get back to his feet

(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

At the beginning of the last quarter Murić and Čović clashed. All that was visible was that Murić tried to tackle Čović, then Čović pushed his elbow into Murić’s face and then hell broke loose.

Finally referees resolved the situation by giving technical foul to both players. This was the second technical for both, they had to leave the court.

How wonderful it was. (Not.) The fail of logics and moral.

Both teams got their free throws. Partizan scored (73:61), FMP missed it out. Therefore the referees gave them a gift free throw (fouling us again with an impossible reason). That was fine. Good boys. (75:63)
At this point both teams released the beast. Even though FMP's poison-fang was pulled out by sending off Čović, they didn’t get any more sportsmanlike or technically skilled. They played the same man-to-man-fight tactics with full court press, maybe with one less moron on the court. They still got the support from the referees they needed, so the absence of the Boss’s Son wasn’t that prominent. They reduced the difference to 79:73.
Here came the time for Veličković.
Veličković took the team on his back and started to score 3-pointers. FMP-players immediately jumped on him (at least 3 of them at once). Only a few seconds were left from the game, it was in fact wrestling and not basketball on the court. Finally the referee took a deep breath and fouled FMP. Marinković scored from the free throw (87:75), but at the very end FMP just had to get a bonus shot after a score as well as a free throw. After 40 minutes of circus the buzz ended the game and we could celebrate our qualifying to the final. Aunt Vesna is done, now come uncle Čoki and his pitbulls.

(photos: Facebook/KK Partizan)

KK Partizan: Cvetković (2), Aranitović, Jones (16), Murić (8), Marinković (8), Veličković (20), Vitkovac (8), Đumić, Milutinović (1), Williams (5), Vrabac (3), Wilson (16)

FMP: Čović (9), Davidovac (5), Ostojić, Apić (14), Jeković, Đoković (8), Lazarević (14), Bursać (2), Dobrić (6), Šešlija (4), Radovanović, Tejić (16)

Union Olimpija - KK Partizan 118:115 (Adriatic League, Round 26)

It was a sensational, surreal basketball comedy in 4+4 acts. I have never seen such, they say it was the very first time in the history of Adriatic League that the 4th (!!!) extra time decides the final result of a game.

(photo: Twitter)

We started like a bunch of sleepy badgers and as the game was going on, it didn’t get any better. Olimpija made it to 9:5 and after a while their advantage grew to 10 points (17:7). As if the team would have been somewhere else in spirit. Olimpija was not on the top either concerning combativity, but we were like being bitten by tik tik flies. Thankfully Jones and Wilson didn’t fall asleep, they made us crawl back to 20:11. Cvetković scored as well (20:13), then the first quarter ended.
The second one was much worse. Terrible game, awful mistakes. We were like a team from the 3rd league. What is more, the on-screen scoreboard disappeared

not on my side, it was a glitch in ArenaSport’s matrix

and didn’t return until the end of the first half. I had to follow the standings on flashscore.com, though perhaps I should have stayed in blissful ignorance, because the result just made me depressive.
As for the match itself, it was boring, soulless and sleepy.

It was so boring that even a cherry baklava recipe was more interesting than what was going on the court of Tivoli sports hall.

Olimpija reached the two-digit difference a few times, we were just fumbling. Cvetković tried to keep the spirit in the team, he scored a few baskets, but we couldn’t reduce the 10+ point difference. Soon before the end the Wilson-Jones duo made us jump from 44:28 to 44:35, and it was high time to have some longer rest.

(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

We started to show life-signs in the middle of the third quarter. Or, maybe it was only Olimpija slowing down. Nevertheless the difference was reduced from 44:37 to 48:42. Wilson was the most active compared to the others (the rest played very enervated). The difference was less and less (55:51), meanwhile the timestamp collapsed on the on-screen scoreboard and didn’t recover at all. The quarter ended with 58:54.
For the last part (or at least that part we thought would be the last) Olimpija was obviously struggling. We equalized (58:58), then took the lead with Wilson’s score (58:61). Yet the game was still a surreal comedy, because what else could you name that when we had 4 attempts in a row for a 3-pointer, but the ball rebounded every single time?... Olimpija wake up from their slumber when we took the lead, and from this point on until the final K.O. it was like a ping-pong game. A team scores, then B team scores. Again A team scores, then again B team. Then again A team... and so on. 65:66, 67:66, 67:68, 67:70, 69:70, etc. Only a few seconds were left, we were leading to 69:71, when Olimpija suddenly equalized (71:71). End buzz, the standing is a draw. Extra time.

(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

What started here was like a very heavy feverish nightmare. We continued the ping-pong game. At this point it seemed like so that the team that loses would be the one that makes the first mistake. It happened at 78:77. Jones’s attempt rebounded from the ring. Olimpija took advantage, jumped to 83:77. Vitkovac sped up and scored 4 points (83:81). Less than a minute was left, Olimpija got a free throw (85:81). So did we, Cvetković scored (85:83). Partizan played full court press, we didn’t let Slovenians even take breath. Last seconds, Partizan attacks, Cvetković possesses the ball. He shots... and scores. 85:85, end buzz, another extra time is waiting.
We continued again the ping-pong. Wilson and Jones had a massive series, making us jump to 87:93.

At this point almost only our two Americans were active, the rest were breathing through their ears from exhaustedness.

Olimpija got free throw twice, they reduced the difference to 92:93. One free throw was there for us, too (92:94). 11 seconds were left, when Olimpija equalized (94:94). Amazing. End buzz, one another amount of extra time.
Ping-pong. Both teams were very tired, they made a lot of mistakes. Only one and a half minutes were left, the standing was 101:99, when we started the "Olimpija scores, we equalize"-game. It was absolutely not less nerve-racking than the ping-pong style. At 105:103 Olimpija’s coach asked for time-out. When they got back to the court, they immediately got a free throw (106:103). Wilson was tirelessly carrying the team on his back. He scored (106:105). Olimpija got another free throw (107:105). A few seconds were left, when Wilson ran up and right before the end buzz he scored. 107:107, another extra time.
In this absolutely crazy encore, when both teams made a superhuman performance, in this very last part we couldn’t take the lead. Olimpija was always ahead of us with a step (111:109, 113:111, 115:113, etc.). 10 seconds were left, the standing was 116:115, when Olimpija got a free throw. They scored. 118:115
4 seconds were left. Partizan got a free throw.
Wilson stood to the paint... and he missed it out. He couldn’t score.
The rest of the time was enough only for Olimpija to ran up to our backboard, then it was end buzz. After one hour we were defeated in a fantastic, surreal and very heroic game, but for all these we made in the last quarter and throughout the entire extra time, for all these the boys deserve all respect.

This is why I root for Partizan. This is why I don’t care for Hungarian sports, nor for spoiled foreign teams and their celebrity athletes. I love them for this battling spirit, and this is what I can find only at them.

Adriatic League has ended for us, the next station comes later in the Serbian domestic league.

Highlights:

Union Olimpija: Rupnik (2), Robinson (14), Hrovat (10), Mesiček, Nikolić (8), Vučetić (6), Lapornik (25), Lešić (31), Mahkovic (4), Zakis (18), Čančar

KK Partizan: Cvetković (19), Aranitović, Jones (32), Murić (7), Marinković, Vitkovac (12), Koprivica, Milutinović, Williams (4), Vrabac, Wilson (41)

Adriatic League regular season end results:
1. Budućnost 49 points
2. CZ 46 points
3. Cedevita 45 points
4. Mega Leks 43 points
5. Partizan 38 points
6. Zadar 38 points
7. Union Olimpija 37 points
8. Cibona 37 points
9. Igokea 37 points
10. MZT Skopje 36 points
11. Metalac 36 points
12. Krka 36 points
13. Sutjeska 35 points
14. Tajfun Šentjur 33 points

KK Partizan - Crvena Zvezda 68:60 (Korać Cup, semifinal)

VICTORYYYYY!!!

What a victory, oh my God.
In the afternoon of the match day there was already a great police presence around the sports hall of Niš.

(photos: Twitter)

Two hours before the start the sports hall was almost full.

(photo: Twitter)

Then, as the time was coming soon, the squad appeared on the court to warm up.

(photo: Twitter)

They got a very warm welcome from the fans.

While on the stand there was someone whom we haven’t seen for long.

(photo: hotsport.rs)

Yes, it was Predrag "Saša" Danilović personally, who came to see Partizan.
On Partizan’s bench the injured players gathered.

Vrabac, Magdevski, Andrić, Đumić

(photo: Twitter)

To hell with the goddamned Copa Del Rey. I’m fucking not interested in the Spanish royal cup right before the eternal derby, dear ArenaSport.

The start was tough, what else it could be. In the first half there was a long row of fouls on both sides. The first part of the first quarter wasn’t even gone when Koprivica got his third personal foul. After 7:7 Zvezda took the lead (7:10) and they kept it (8:11). We missed out a lot of chances - in fact both teams missed out too many chances, they were all very nervous. They were so nervous that Miller got a technical foul here, in the first quarter. At 8:13 Williams scored from free throw (10:13), then Cvetković sped up and he himself alone (!!!) brought us up to 17:13!!!

(photo: hotsport.rs)

Punch line for the end of the first quarter: Zirbes missed out a free throw.

The atmosphere was great.

The beginning of the second quarter was mostly about wrestling. Players were rolling on the floor struggling with each other, fighting over the ball, finally we could grab it and ran up to Zvezda’s paint.
What started at this point was something amazing, unbelievable and fantastic. Wilson made us jump to 24:13 (he got two free throws and in between he scored a wonderful 3-pointer). Cvetković was burning on 1 million Celsius and made such an assist to Vitkovac that will surely be remembered for long.

(source: GlimmerKKP)

Zvezda tried with full court press, they could reduce the difference a bit to 26:19. Players were literally fighting sometimes, referees couldn’t always follow the stream of events, they just whistled and gave fouls to random players.

It was especially funny because it was mostly the XXL-sized, tattoed Zirbes had to throw those free throws they got. Yet the German was totally out of shape, at least in the first half. He missed out almost all free throws, he could barely score a point here and there.

Jones got a rebound, he scored (28:19). Zvezda was struggling. They could score almost only from free throws

well, if not Zirbes threw them...

they were cramping, struggling. They struggled so hard they almost got piles, but they could come up to only 6 points of difference (28:22), but Murić cut their possible high hopes short with an elegant and cheeky 3-pointer (31:22).
After this Miller got the ball and ran up. He jumped, he sailed through the air like a helicopter, he clearly wanted to do a giant dunk. He rose his hand, he focused all his power into his palm that was holding the ball...
...and the ball rebounded from the ring with a fantastic trajectory.

At this point I fell on the floor from laugh and made such noises like a retarded seal.

We ran up for a counter-attack, Jones scored with a rakish movement. Our advantage was 11 points (33:22).

(photo: hotsport.rs)

At the end of the quarter the referees just had to give the 4th foul to Williams, because why not. Zvezda struggled hard enough to earn 3 more points (this time they could score from free throw), then we could have some rest.

Grave Diggers some time in the second quarter

In the third quarter Zvezda barely walked out to the court when Koprivica settled back the 10-point difference (35:25).

Jones scored (37:25), Murić brought a genious 3-pointer (40:25). Zvezda struggled ahead, sometimes they could score (40:29), but Jones always interrupted them, keeping the red hopes low instead of high, to keep them away from any possible emotional disturbance.
What a great pedagugoe Kevin Jones is.
After this a smaller war started under Zvezda’s backboard. Players were fighting, wrestling, the ball dropped all around, three Zvezda-players jumped on a Partizan-player, finally the ball reached Murić. Murić looked around then he threw a GIANT 3-pointer "from another planet" that the plaster fell off from the ceiling (45:29).
Zvezda got a row of free throws (45:32) - they couldn’t really score any field goal... Grave Diggers started to chant their little song about Vesna Čović, again

no, I won’t write it here, it’s too obscene

but the referees found it too harsh, so much that the speaker had to announce that if fans continue to "support their team in such an unsportsmanlike way", there will be nasty consequences.

Interesting, when back then opponent fans yelled life-threatening, obscene words to Duško Vujošević or when they called Bogdan Bogdanović "ustaša", nobody stopped the game and nobody told red fans to shut the fuck up. Double standards, my a.....

After this Grave Diggers chanted their song even louder about what Vesna Čović should do and especially how. At 45:34 Wilson scored a 3-pointer (48:34), and finally Zvezda could score a field goal after a long time. (48:37)
Then came Milutinović’s great moment.
The standing was 50:37, Cvetković ran up with the ball, dribbling. He broke through the red defense line, a defender pushed him to the ground. Cvetković threw the ball while he himself was falling, but the ball rebounded. Milutinović was sneaking under the backboard, he jumped, grabbed the rebounding ball and ruthlessly pushed it into the ring.

(source: GlimmerKKP)

At the end of the quarter Zvezda got a friendly clout on their head in the form of a gift free throw from the referees. We finished the third part with 52:39.
In the beginning of the fourth quarter Jones had his moments, changing the standing from 52:41 to 56:41. Zvezda was struggling (56:47), while the Wilson-Murić duo easily scored 4 more points for us (60:47).

(photo: hotsport.rs)

Wilson scored again, what made it funny was that a red hand touched the ball while flying towards the ring - had it not touch the ball, Wilson would have missed it out (62:47). Zvezda could score only from free throw (62:51). Williams was fouled out, Zvezda reduced their difference, it started to be a bit uncomfortable (65:59) after they got again a lot of free throws. There was less than a minute to go, when Wilson had a fantastic basket (67:59)

I swear I saw it to be a 3-pointer, well, the referee didn’t

Cvetković scored from free throw (68:59). There were only 7 seconds left, but the referees just had to foul out Wilson and give a last free throw to Zvezda (68:60). But they couldn’t take the victory from us.
It was time for a very well-earned celebration.

(photos: Twitter)

And finally, the extra punch line for the end: after the match the totally absent-minded Quincey Miller got on Partizan’s bus (for the great amusement of the Grave Diggers waiting there).

KK Partizan: Cvetković (6), Aranitović, Jones (19), Murić (11), Marinković (5), Tanasković, Vitkovac (3), Koprivica (2), Milutinović (4), Williams (2), Jovanović, Wilson (16)

Crvena Zvezda: Kinsey (22), Rebić, Dangubić (6), Lazić (1), Simanić, Micić (16), Tejić, Simonović, Gudurić, Miller (3), Zirbes (12)

The final of the Korać Cup starts tomorrow at 21:00, we’ll play against Mega Leks. ArenaSport 1 broadcasts it live.