Crvena Zvezda - KK Partizan 83:72 (ABA Liga, round 8)

Be happy and celebrate, dear everyone, because Charles Jenkins has returned to Belgrade. Not as if anyone would have missed him. What a joy it was when he left for Milan. It seems even in Milan nobody misses him. By the way, is there anyone who could tell why this moron has Serbian citizenship?... And if he has, then why do I not have any?...

Birčević is seemingly in shock to meet Jenkins again

The first quarter was relatively good. The battle was equal, nip-and-tuck game with no major differences. Though Hatcher got a technical foul after 5 minutes (he fought with Jenkins, his technical foul is forgiven). Then Koprivica was fouled twice within 10 seconds, this one was a bit more tough. (What is more, around the end of the quarter he got his third foul...) Gudurić also got a technical foul, then - less than 30 seconds were left - another Zvezda-player got a technical as well. We were leading to 20:23, only five seconds were left, Zvezda scored a basket, but it was double dribble, the referees invalidated it. Fans were raging, they were booing and hissing (the tribunes were all in red-and-white, only a handful of Partizan-fans were allowed, and they were surrounded by gendarmerie), but who cared for the whining of Zvezda-fans. We were leading.

Vanja Marinković

It started in the second quarter, namely that process which is usual at such derbies. Referees whistle off everything, giving fouls to Partizan-players. Zvezda gets a million free throws, of course they take the lead. We kept the pace at the beginning (22:26), but two minutes later Zvezda took the lead after those gift free throws. (27:26).

I have to admit though, we had too many missed-out chances. Really. It was a pain to watch. Especially the missed-out 3-pointers. We paid the price for these.

Finally we could score (31:28), then we reduced to 34:31. Only two minutes were left, when Zvezda made it to 10 points (44:34), while we were just struggling. We got a long row of fouls, but when Veličković was pushed to the floor, that was not whistled off... The referee just waved to Partizan’s team captain to stand up, come on, come on... Hatcher made a buzzer-beater 3-pointer, with his score we finished the first half with 48:39.

At first it seems like a romantic ’I wanna hold your hand’-scene between Vrabac and Jović, but in real they want to strangle each other

The third quarter was the sequel of the first two. We were fouled at almost every Zvezda-attack, Zvezda got a gift free throw every time, while we were struggling to score. The enemy was leading to 54:39. Foul came after foul, as if the world was against us. 56:43... Aleksandar Džikić asked for time-out in the middle of the quarter. Seriously, once he will get an apoplectic seizure during a time-out for yelling so much and so hard with the players.

I’m not familiar with such things, also it’s easy to play the smartass from here, at the sideline, but can anyone tell why must half the time-out be wasted with Džikić yelling at the players, sometimes in a too rough way? Isn’t a time-out rather for tactical discussion, while keeping the yelling part for the locker room?

It didn’t get any better for us. 61:46... We made every possible mistake. Or scenes like two Zvezda-players were hanging on Luković, the referee didn’t bat an eyelid. But when Luković hung on a Zvezda-player at the other side of the court, he was fouled immediately. At the end of the quarter the difference was 20 points (67:46), Average Fan was watching the endless row of fouls with just a dry smile. The quarter finished with 70:53.

Andrić and Majstorović wrestling with Mitrović for the ball. Can anyone tell why Andrić entered the game only in the middle of the third half?

And then, at the beginning of the fourth quarter, when the standing was 72:53, the head coach of Zvezda got the crust to make a tantrum when Zvezda got an offensive foul. (What a tantrum that was, my good God.)
The standing was 73:59, it was around the middle of the quarter, when Majstorović stayed laying on the ground with a painful face. The slow motion replay showed him clashing with someone and getting injured on the ingunial.

He could stand on his feet only with the help of the team doctor

He limped to the bench with Andrić’s support

What has to be noticed though: as Majstorović was limping off the court, he got an applause from Zvezda-fans. This was nice of you, guys. Thanks. Really.

Faith in humanity restored

The game continued and it was the same... (fault >> gift free throw to them, missed-out chances here). 77:61... 82:66... Finally, at 83:70 Vrabac scored, 24 seconds before the end. This way we could avoid the 10-point difference. But let’s just rather forget this game.
Update: it seems Majstorović needs at least a month of rest to recover from his injury

Highlights:

Crvena Zvezda: Wolters (6), Dangubić (6), Mitrović (12), Lazić (11), Simanić, Dobrić, Simonović (8), Jenkins (19), Gudurić (4), Jović, Kuzmić (8), Bjelica (9)

KK Partizan: Robinson (2), Ratkovica (11), Vrabac (6), Marinković (9), Veličković (11), Majstorović (3), Birčević (10), Koprivica (4), Andrić, Hatcher (16), Karahodžić, Luković

Current standing of the league:
1. CZ 16 pointa
2. Budućnost 16 points
3. Cibona 14 points
4. KK Partizan 14 points
5. Cedevita 13 points
6. Igokea 12 points
7. FMP 11 points
8. Krka 11 points
9. Zadar 11 points
10. Mornar Bar 10 points
11. Mega Leks 10 points
12. MZT Skopje 10 points
13. Union Olimpija 9 points
14. Karpoš 8 points

(photos: Facebook/KK Partizan)

KK Partizan - Budućnost 61:64 (ABA Liga, round 7)

We won’t put this game on display for sure... A match we were about to win, but we let it out of our hands.
Though the atmosphere was excellent.

There were some old friends there.

Then jump ball, kickstart.
After 14 seconds Luković was fouled.
More than a minute passed when the first score arrived (0:3).
After one and a half minute came the first technical foul (for Budućnost).
Almost two minutes passed when we could equalize (3:3).
So, you get the point.
Then Vrabac got injured on his forehead after a clash. He got a quick first aid, from then on he played the whole game with bandage on his eyebrow. Hero.
Yet Budućnost was leading. Though I have to think hard to remember when we had such a struggling game. The standing was 5:10 in the middle of the quarter. We were out of order, so was the opponent. A terrible amount of missed out attempts on both sides. Two and a half minutes before the end it was 7:14. We narrowed the standing a bit for the end, but Average Fan could hear the noise of clenched teeth through the stream... The quarter finished with 11:18.

Good boy... Nikolić (19) gets a pat on the head from Majstorović

The second quarter was the sequel of the first in the beginning. Budućnost was slowly tearing us into tiny pieces... Then Novica Veličković took the team on his back and made a fantastic march. The standing was 13:27, we got a free throw, he scored. And then there was no stop. The others also got the gear (17:27 by Robinson, then later 21:30 by Luković) and we came up to 35:29!!!! Good Lord, it’s just IMPOSSIBLE what we did. We made a 22:2 series the Novi Beograd sports hall was about to explode.

It’s Veličković time!

6 seconds were left from the quarter, Budućnost got a free throw (35:30). Then Vrabac got the ball and he ran up, with bandage on his face and after a tremendous solo he made a BUZZER BEATER making it 37:30 for the half-time. This was one of Partizan’s greatest resurrections, for sure.

"Hey mate, you goin’ to the snack bar in the half-time? Bring me two Smokis, kthx"

In the beginning of the third quarter we continued our march. We kept it quite well until the middle of the part (43:37), when Budućnost slowly started to reduce the difference. One and a half minute before the end they equalized (43:43). Luković took back the lead (45:43). They equalized again (45:45). 18 seconds were left, we got a free throw. Robinson brought us a little advantage, enough of a small breath. (46:45).
Then Budućnost took the lead (48:49). Cold shower. Players were wrestling on the court, making a long row of missed-out attempts and free throws, both sides. Nightmare. The guests were leading to 49:56, barely 4 minutes were left from the game. Struggling. We jump to 54:56. Hatcher equalizes for us (56:56).
Less than two and a half minutes are left. Budućnost takes back the lead (56:58). Robinson scores a fantastic 3-pointer (59:58).
One minute and 15 seconds are left. It’s unbelievable. Budućnost also scores a 3-pointer. They even get a bonus shot. They’re leading again... (61:62). Great struggling and fight on the court.
55 seconds are left. Players are fighting with each other. The referee gives the ball to Budućnost. Their coach asks for time-out. The whole sports hall is on their feet. The teams come back on the court. We get the ball, we run up for an attack. Marinković shots from 3-pointer position... and misses it out.
7 seconds are left. Free throw for Budućnost.
Williams scores both. 61:64. Aleksandar Džikić asks for time-out.
It’s all in vain. We run back to the court, Veličković tries an attempt... and misses it out.
The end.

Highlights:

KK Partizan: Robinson (11), Ratkovica (2), Vrabac (5), Marinković (4), Veličković (15), Majstorović, Birčević (6), Koprivica, Andrić, Hatcher (6), Pot, Luković (12)

Budućnost: Reynolds (10), Williams (13), Šehović (8), James (12), Subotić (2), Ilić, Savović (5), Nikolić (7), Popović (7), Vranješ

Current standing of the league:
1. Budućnost 14 points
2. Cibona 13 points
3. Partizan 13 points
4. CZ 12 points
5. Cedevita 11 points
6. Igokea 10 points
7. Zadar 10 points
8. FMP 9 points
9. Mega Leks 9 points
10. Krka 9 points
11. Mornar Bar 8 points
12. MZT Skopje 8 points
13. Union Olimpija 6 points
14. Karpoš 6 points

(photos: hotsport.rs)

FMP - KK Partizan 56:65 (ABA Liga, round 6)

Question no. 1.: Whose very stupid idea was to put this game - actually a derby - to Sunday noon?
Question no. 2.: Who was/were that/those idiot(s) who agreed with it?
FYI: at Sunday noon I’m still at my morning coffee, after I had my English-style breakfast in a leisure style. Even this time I was still not fully awake, when the boys started to wrestle with Čoki and co. on the court. (Even the commentator greeted the viewers with "Dobro jutro" - Good morning.)
This game was mostly a wrestling game, though it contained basketball as well in tracks. At the beginning of the first quarter already 3 fouls were whistled, yet the standing was still 6:6 after 5 minutes. (While Čoki jr. got his second foul.) Meanwhile we took the lead with a minimal advantage, but we kept it (10:11, 9th minute). Only 7 seconds were left, we took the lead again after an equal with Veličković’s 3-pointer (12:15), but at the very end, right at the buzz the referees just had to whistle a foul on us, and the opponent got a triple free throw. They scored, all of them, of course. 15:15, what a comedy.

Majstorović vs. Čović junior. The difference is not only their height, or "Gimme the ball or else I’ll call MY DAD!"

(photo: aba-liga.com)

The second quarter was the same with barely any scores, but much more fighting. FMP was leading for almost the whole time. Once we equalized around the middle of the quarter (22:22), but they took back the lead almost immediately. Both teams played with too many fouls and mistakes, with only one basket in a minute. If there were two baskets within a minute, then excitement was about to explode... We finished the first half with 32:31, but Uroš Luković definitely brought his best.

Čoki sr. (on the left) and Mme Vesna were there to watch the Baby Boy

(photo: hotsport.rs)

In the third quarter we brought ourselves back to life. At first it was a pingpong-game (one basket at this side, one at the other), then at 36:35 we started a huge series with Luković’s basket and didn’t finish until 36:51. FMP could score from free throw 10 seconds before the end (38:51), but we also got one, right at the very end, the same way as the opponent got it in the first part - it was almost the end buzz, but the referees whistled a foul and we scored from free throw (38:53).

Majstorović and Vrabac surround Ljubičić 

(photo: aba-liga.com)

FMP decided to play it hard for the last quarter, while probably the referees also woke up and started to whistle a row of fouls on us, whether it was really a foul or not. The opponent jumped to 51:55, but we still didn’t let the advantage out of our hands. The 7th minute brought a fighting scene, Ratkovica and Šešlija clashed, literally. (Both of them were fouled, but only FMP got a free throw...) Too many mistakes and missed-out chances came in the last minutes, and even if one of the teams could score, that was almost surely from free throw. Field goals were totally missing.
And we were those who took advantage of free throws.
Of course.
*halo switched on*

Highlights:

FMP: Čović (10), Ćorović, Davidovac (7), Apić (7), Lazarević (9), Bursać (9), Šešlija (1), Kutlešić, Žižić, Ljubičić (9), Kaplanović (2), Bolden (2)

KK Partizan: Robinson (5), Ratkovica (2), Vrabac (1), Marinković (2), Veličković (15), Majstorović (5), Birčević, Koprivica, Andrić (7), Hatcher (20), Pot, Luković (8)

Current championship standings:
1. CZ 12 points
2. Budućnost 12 points
3. KK Partizan 12 points
4. Cibona 11 points
5. Cedevita 9 points
6. Igokea 9 points
7. Zadar 9 points
8. Mornar Bar 8 points
9. FMP 8 points
10. Krka 7 points
11. Mega Leks 7 points
12. MZT Skopje 7 points
13. Union Olimpija 6 points
14. Karpoš 6 points