Fan blog of Partizan Sports Society (JSD Partizan) in Belgrade, Serbia. Football, basketball, volleyball, handball, ice hockey, water polo, news, players, all that are a matter of curiousity.
A subjective blog. English is not my mother tongue.
English version of http://jsdpartizanfan.blogspot.com/
Showing posts with label Adriatic League. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adriatic League. Show all posts
Another game that again looked like a constipation/haemorrhoid/long line standing at the team doctor for laxative.
Yes, yes. We won. We got the two points, let’s not talk about the details, right?
Maybe we shouldn’t indeed.
The first quarter was ruled by Mega Leks. Sometimes they almost reached the 10-point difference. We struggled. We were fouled too often. Referees didn’t have a top performance either, but this should not be an excuse, for God’s sake... Birčević got a technical foul after getting into fight with a Mega-player. The standing was 2:11, then 7:13. Once we could equalize (17:17), but Mega had an instant reply with a 3-pointer (17:20). We finished the first part with 20:26.
In the second quarter we surely set a record... Within 40 seconds we were fouled three times. At this point Mega Leks did whatever they just wanted. (22:29) Then somehow, very slowly, with a lot of struggles we started to reduce the difference, approximately with the speed of a glacier. 4 minutes passed from the quarter, we reduced to 29:31, then - miracles happen - Ratkovica took the lead (32:31). It didn’t last long (32:33). We made a horror amount of double dribbles, I don’t remember when we made this much on a game. The two teams had a nip-and-tuck game, 36:37, 38:37, 40:37, 40:40, then Hatcher scored (42:40), but Mega got a free throw 3 seconds before the end, they equalized (42:42).
In the third quarter Mega took back the lead (42:45) and they kept it for quite a while. It was around the middle of the quarter, the standing was 46:49, when Veličković shook up the team a bit.
The standing here was more or less equal (48:51, 51:51), then about two minutes before the end we actually started to play.
It was high time for that. Until this point our actions contained basketball only in tracks. If ever.
We modified the standing to 62:54 (Hatcher scored 11 seconds before the end buzz), then we finished the quarter with 62:57, Mega Leks got a triple free throw just 1 second before the end and they scored.
In the last quarter we really started to remind of a basketball team. We were leading, we didn’t have a too big advantage though, but were constantly ahead with 4-5 points. Even despite the fact that we had the tendency to overcomplicate. But oh well. Victory.
No, I’m not impressed. We had a terrible performance through three quarters, with awful, soulless game, making mistakes after mistakes. Wonderful that we could step over the otherwise bit indisposed Mega Leks. Wonderful that we can make it through ABA Liga with even this performance. But I very much hope that everyone knows it’s not enough.
Again a game that slipped out of our hands.
We had a great start though. It was even excellent. We were leading, the team was bursting from energy.
Then it was 14:7. We had a strong start, we played well and spectacular. Cedevita tried to find their breath. They could still equalize (14:14), they even took the lead (17:20), but Veličković took it back twice and we finished the first quarter with a one-point advantage with his scores (23:22).
The second quarter was even better.
Our advantage was growing. 27:23, then 32:23... at a point Cedevita’s head coach had a meltdown, he got a technical foul. It made him freaked out, he yelled with the referees, finally he had to leave the court. The assistant coach took his duty, and I was sure he was waiting for this very moment. Gianmarco Pozzecco made an unbelievable show at the bench. If I didn’t have such a terrible mood after this defeat, I’d say things like Pozzecco for president or this guy and all his gestures must be spread all over the internet as gifs. Here is a compilation with him, you can click and take a look. (If you don’t have a too bad mood, it may even be entertaining.)
At the end of the video you can see and hear it well: Partizan-fans gave a loud applause to him and his team.
Meanwhile we were leading with more than 10 points.
Everything worked well, we did whatever we wanted. Then two and a half minutes before the end Ratkovica was fouled, that was the point when we somehow halted. Cedevita started to reduce their difference, they equalized from 49:42. We could still keep our advantage with a free throw (51:49), that was the half-time result.
Koprivica and Hatcher
Then came the third quarter.
At first we kept ourselves. Nothing seemed to be suspicious. (61:56) Then Cedevita equalized (61:61) and took the lead (61:63). We equalized, but Cedevita again took the lead (63:68). From this point on there was no return... They jumped to 65:73, meanwhile Veličković got a technical foul for yelling off the referee’s head. At the end of the quarter we got a free throw, Hatcher scored one, missed out the other. We were heading to the final quarter with 66:73.
Adin Vrabac
Let’s not talk about the last quarter...
We failed. We were nervous. We fell apart. The opponent took advantage of it all. Their point guard, Jackson was like as if he was sent directly from hell to Pionir Hall. He was very quick, tricked himself through Partizan’s defense and threw a million baskets. The other players of Cedevita could have walked off the court to the snack bar for a beer, Jackson did whatever he wanted. They were leading to 73:83, then we started to reduce the difference slowly and struggling. Two and a half minutes before the end it was 84:87, but we couldn’t make it any closer. Jackson was fouled out at the end, but only 50 seconds were left, it did neither good nor harm.
And a message for those fans morons who yelled at Aleksandar Džikić after the game: suck a horse.
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
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.
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*
With an awfully lagging net and sometimes unwatchable stream, but Partizan won again - as Fellow Fan was kind enough to inform me, by "smashing them". Looking at the final result it’s no doubt at all.
That day was also the 71st anniversary of founding Partizan sports society. Grave Diggers did their best to celebrate it.
The steam engine started to roll in the first quarter at 9:11. We jumped to 9:20 scoring a lot of 3-pointers. Then 14:27. Easy, smooth, absolutely non-problematic first part, finished with 16:29.
Hatcher had a fantastic performance, he was the MVP of the game
That's how it was going for the rest of the game as well. In the second quarter our advantage was more than 20 points (20:43). Even ArenaSport's commentator was shocked. We had the chance to make some spectacular tricks, too, like Ratkovica here.
Half-time result: 25:48.
Birčević too was in excellent shape
The second half was merely about whether we can keep the 20-point difference or we can improve it to 30. We did. We were leading to 50:85 in the last quarter. At the very end we took it too easily and missed out a few chances, Skopje reduced the difference from 52:90 to 62:93. But 30 points are 30 points.
Brand new team, brand new hopes, Mihajlo Andrić has returned at long last after a very long pause and Novica Veličković stayed at Partizan.
Then the game started and it was a struggle. The home team was leading to 8:2, we missed out a lot of chances, or rather the Montenegrin team blocked the hell out of us.
12:2, then 14:4. KK Partizan was out of order... Hatcher got a technical, Andrić was fouled for the second time in the 7th minute. Even Veličković entering the court didn’t help. He scored though (14:6), but we still kept on collecting fouls. The quarter ended with 18:10.
Adin Vrabac
Just when the second quarter started, Ellis blocked Veličković twice in a row. This video here is just a teaser, they made it the same way once again.
We struggled. Mornar played it aggressive, in fact that was all. As for us, well... we didn’t. We played as if we were asleep, we tried to stop them with clenched teeth, no success (22:10). Then finally Marinković scored a 3-pointer (22:17), that woke up the team, a bit. Hatcher and Robinson equalized (24:24), we even took the lead with Hatcher’s free throw (24:26). We came back to life a bit, but it didn’t last long. Just 16 seconds before the end buzz Mornar took back the lead (28:27), that was the half-time result as well.
Stefan Pot with the ball
That very annoying something that was typical for the rest of the game started in the third quarter, this "ping-pong"-game, when one team leads, then within a few seconds the other takes the lead, and just a bit later the first team takes it back - and so on. The difference was max. 3-4 points always. There was struggling, there was fight, but there was barely any score. Both teams had very strong defense, but at the same time none of them had a convincing performance. Mornar was leading to 43:42 before the final quarter.
Andrić and Luković (55) try to block Mornar’s player. Robinson (5) is watching from the left, Vrabac (7) is wrestling with Waller
It was the same in the last part. Fight, struggle, sweat, then at 57:56 Ratkovica clashed so hard with the opponent under the backboard that he fell on the court and remained there. (Finally he could stand up and teetered off to the bench.) Then at the end Veličković settled the final score.
Highlights:
KK Mornar Bar: Jones (14), Krstić (3), B. Radunović (8), Vujošević, Čalić (2), Mijović (6), M. Radunović, Pantić, Dickerson (4), Ellis (5), Hadžibegović, Waller (15)
League table will be brought tomorrow, there is one game left from this round.
Update: standings after 1 round
1. Budućnost 4 points*
2. Zadar 3 points*
3. CZ 2 points
4. Krka 2 points
5. Cibona 2 points
6. Mega Leks 2 points 7. Partizan 2 points
8. Union Olimpija 1 point
9. Mornar Bar 1 point
10. FMP 1 point
11. Cedevita 1 point
12. Igokea 1 point
13. Karpoš 1 point
14. MZT Skopje 1 point
After ABA League/Adriatic League there was a two-month-long gap until the Serbian domestic league to start.
Though we didn’t have any time to get bored in between.
The leading news of this period was the verbal karate between FIBA and the basketball associations around Europe.
I try to make just a short summary about it: it all started with FIBA declaring that they were not willing to acknowledge Euroleague as an official competition. (This is not a fresh fight, it started long ago and it will surely not end in the near future. There are definitely clashes of interest in the background, but that should be the topic of another blogpost.) As ABA League is tied to Euroleague, FIBA declared, they would not acknowledge ABA League either as an official competition series. What is more, they also declared, all those nations which enter ABA League or Euroleague, their national teams will be banned from every international competition (EuroBasket, world championship, Olympic Games) - countries like Serbia, Spain, Russia, Lithuania or Slovenia (in the meantime Croatia confirmed that they would co-operate with FIBA, at the same time they would turn away from ABA League). As for Serbia, right now it seems that the Serbian Basketball Association will choose ABA League and Euroleague vs. the national team. My very own two cents: no right decision can be brought in this situation. The KSS can only decide which finger they should push into their eyes.
Partizan had their very own private warfare with KSS in the meantime. As we found out, Partizan may enter the Eurocup-series next season with a little luck (if we can get the wild card). Yet KSS declared, if Partizan entered Eurocup, we would get banned from the Serbian domestic league.
Don’t ever ask me why. There is probably FIBA in the background of this decision, but I (still) can’t see through the why’s and how’s. If anyone has any information about it, you can write it to the comment section below. Thanks in advance.
KK Partizan’s sports director Dragan Todorić had a clear-cut reaction on it. He sent both KSS and FIBA straight to hell, and he added, if Partizan gets the wild card, then we will enter Eurocup, even if green snow falls on Belgrade in the middle of the summer.
And if this was still not enough, KK Partizan’s president Nikola "Pekmen" Peković had a controversial interview in the media.
After all these Serbian superliga could finally get a start yesterday, and Partizan had an easy training game with Čačak.
The match had to be played behind closed doors, from a nobody-remembers-when-and-what-happened punishment by KSS. But on the stands you could still see two old friends.
Saša Pavlović and Nemanja Bezbradica
(photo: sportskacentrala.com)
All the flags with the team’s former championship titles and victores disappeared. This only Serbian flag was hung there - the others were gone almost surely as the result of the fight between ABA League/Euroleague and FIBA
(photo: Twitter)
During the national anthem
(photo: Twitter)
The beginning of the game was a bit tough, Borac got a free throw in the very first minute (0:1), then they jumped to 8:12. It didn’t last long, we equalized (12:12, Koprivica had such a great game, why does this kid not get more chance to play?).
Miloš Koprivica with the ball
(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)
Then it soon turned into 26:18.
This was that moment, too (2 and a half minutes were left from the first quarter) when Novica Veličković, who returned to Partizan a few weeks ago, entered the court.
(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)
We soon reached the two-digit difference (28:18, Wilson). We practically won the match at this point. The quarter ended with 37:26.
The second quarter was even smoother. 43:26 (Veličković), 47:30 (Jones), 49:34 (Vitkovac).
And then came Petar Aranitović.
The kid washed off team Čačak from the court. He scored 9 points within 1-2 minutes (58:34). He was at everywhere, caught the ball and threw it into the ring every single time (even Murić’s rebound). At the end he closed the first half with such a 3-pointer that should be taught at academies (63:36).
The second half was just a formality. There’s not much to say about it. We were just throwing the ball into the basket, Team Čačak was nice to us, they just let us play around.
They deserve a hats-off though. It was a fair play game with them, and they fought as much as they could, despite Partizan’s obvious advantage.
No highlights, I found none official. Yet here is the entire game, you can watch it again, if you’d like.
KK Partizan: Cvetković, Aranitović (14), Jones (12), Murić (11), Marinković (10), Veličković (9), Vitkovac (5), Koprivica (9), Milutinović (5), Williams (10), Vrabac (6), Wilson (11)
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.
I love to write about games like this.
This one was one big basketball gala. Fantastic atmosphere, a lot of talented players, tricks and many spectacular actions. We were leading for the whole time, Cedevita couldn’t even approach us.
What is more, this match was placed to Hala Sportova in Novi Beograd. This was KK Partizan’s home before they moved to Pionir Hall (Pionir Hall now is the home of a tennis championship, that’s why the basketball team played at the other side of river Sava).
Partizan made this retro-feeling run on the maximum. First, that’s how the entrance ticket looked like:
(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)
Old school, printed program brochure was also available.
(photos: mondo.rs)
Serbian swimmer ace Velimir Stjepanović was also present at the game, he got a 70’s style basketball jersey.
(photo: mondo.rs)
(photo: Twitter)
Former top gun Novica Veličković was also there. His contract expired with his current teams, there are many rumours about him and his possible return to Partizan.
(photo: hotsport.rs)
After all these the atmosphere couldn’t be anything else but fantastic.
We went out to the court and bang, it was 7:2 within seconds. At this point Koprivica quickly got out to the bench - he returned later, but he had a plaster on his forehead.
(photo: hotsport.rs)
Jones and Wilson did amazing things. The two of them made us jump to 11:6, later Williams joined them (13:9). Less than 5 minutes passed from the first quarter, when Murić got his 3rd personal foul from the referees. Cedevita got a fre throw (13:11), then something happened, and this something was not else than Vanja Marinković.
Then Williams stole the ball, ran up and performed a BRUTAL slam dunk.
Williams Airlines
(photo: aba-liga.com)
It was still the first quarter, Willams was unstoppable.
And so on. Tricks, dribblings, dunks, fans going crazy. For the whole time, to the end of the game.
Keep in mind though, we needed a seriously under-achieving Cedevita. No one knows what happened to the Croatians today, but they were their own shadows. They were weak and had absoultely no idea what to do with us. Their coach asked for time-out every now and then, but couldn’t clear up the chaos in the heads.
We retunred to the second quarter and continued where we stopped. Our advantage quickly grew to 10 points (36:26, Vrabac).
In the meantime fans were shouting "Vučiću, pederu".
If you don’t know the story behind it: after the infamous Serbia - Albania football game the reporter was talking to the two invited football experts (one of them was Partizan’s ex-goalkeeper Ivica Kralj) on the top of Partizan’s stadium, when a fan could somehow get into the press section, ran to the camera and screamed "Vučiću, pederu!" (Vučić, you faggot) right into the lens. The video gained cult state since then, a long row of remixes has been made about it and became almost like a greeting among Partizan-fans (not just among them).
In the meantime Cedevita had numerous attempts, but none of them was successful. The ball rebounded even when they tried with dunk.
Partizan was like a miracle. Jones threw baskets one after the other, Murić sent the ball into the ring after a fantastic row of passing it here and there and the counter was at 45:31. We finished the first half with 48:34.
Cvetković some time during the game
(photo: hotsport.rs)
In the third quarter Cedevita didn’t even walked out to the court, when Wilson scored (50:34).
Then Jones (52:34).
Then Wilson again (54:34). We were leading with 20 points.
Cedevita collapsed, Partizan did whatever they wanted.
Like this:
Then Cvetković had to be picked from the ground after he clashed with a Cedevita player under our backboard and he got a hit on his solar plexus (if I could see it well). He laid on the floor for quite a while.
(photo: Twitter)
But Cvele just took a deep breath and returned back to the game, because Cvele is a hero.
The third part ended with 64:44, after Williams (again) made the impossible possible.
(photo: hotsport.rs)
The fourth quarter was a fiesta.
At this point it didn’t matter that Williams ran so hard after a ball that he fell through the boards. When he crawled back to the court, fans greeted him with ovation.
(photo: Twitter)
Or Murić made an amazing steal, dribbled through the court and made such a slam dunk that it could be heard even in Genex tower.
At the very end Koprivica was fouled out, but that really didn’t matter at all. We won against Cedevita with an amazing, magnificent game.
It was high time to celebrate.
(photos: hotsport.rs)
Novica Veličković got VIP-hugs
(photos: Twitter)
Mrs. Milka, mother of Aleksandar Džikić was especially satisfied with Edo Murić (and if Mrs. Milka likes you, then you’re really great)
(photo: Twitter)
(photos: hotsport.rs)
Highlights:
KK Partizan: Cvetković (5), Aranitović, Jones (21), Murić (15), Marinković (4), Vitkovac (3), Koprivica (2), Magdevski, Milutinović, Williams (12), Vrabac (4), Wilson (16)
