PAOK - KK Partizan 74:76 (Champions League, play-off)

It was so good.
Not only because we won, but also because I haven’t seen such a great atmosphere at any game. Neither at basketball, nor at football or any other.
The fans - both Greek and Serbian - were chanting BOTH teams while holding each other by the shoulder. Together. Greek and Serbian flags were waving and the sports hall echoed the chanting "PAOK PARTIZAN".

THANK YOU PAOK! See you in Belgrade! #BasketballCL
Posted by KK Partizan on Wednesday, February 8, 2017

There are photos, too, the tribune looked like this:

(photo: basketballcl.com)

(photos: Facebook/KK Partizan)

Many greetings and high five to the Greeks for being such amazing hosts. Thank you so much. It was great to see this.

This similar, friendly atmosphere was present on the court, too. The two teams had a game in the spirit of true fair play. No battles, no fights, no brutal clashes, vivisection, brutality, but tricks and dribbles. It was really a joy to wach.
Of course there was basketball, too. In the first quarter we made amazing things. We made a 10-point advantage with an easy, determinate game (10:20, 12:22). The Greek players just watched us with a slight resignation as Hatcher or Ratkovica did magic with the ball. At this point it looked like a smooth beer-game. The quarter ended with 14:22.

A basket by William Hatcher

(He made 27 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds at this game, finishing as MVP)

(photo: basketballcl.com)

In the second quarter we slowed down a bit. Referees whistled off our actions time after time, the pace of the first quarter dropped. The Greek team started to slowly reduce the difference, from 16:24 it became 23:27. The atmosphere on the tribunes was like a fiesta.

Our 10-point advantage was back (25:35), then we jumped to 27:40. Fiesta on the tribunes, fiesta on the court, the half-time result was 32:40.

PAOK-arena from above

(photo: basketballcl.com)

For the third part our pace dropped even more. In the middle of the quarter PAOK jumped to 39:44, they were closer and closer - so close that for the end they took the lead (53:51). We equalized (53:53), but right at the end buzz they scored a 3-pointer. We were heading into the final part with 56:53.

A shy question: could we maybe find out something for this? I mean e.g. for a bit more balanced performance, to avoid this drop in the pace for the third quarter.

Time-out

(photo: basketballcl.com)

Luković equalized right at the beginning of the fourth quarter, then we took back the lead (56:58). We could keep a minimal advantage, but PAOK was still, continuously behind us, always with only 2-3 points. Fouls happened too often, Margaritis seemed to have an especially bad day, he had an offensive foul at least 3 times in a row. The last part of the game brought an very good, exciting and enjoyable game. Less than a minute was left, we were leading to 68:71, when the hall’s scoreboard decided to go on strike. The game halted, fans were singing, players were talking to each other in a very friendly manner, it was all very jovial. Finally the scoreboard came back to life, we could play the last 48 seconds. This very last part still kept some excitement, only 24 seconds were left, PAOK reduced the difference to 2 points (71:73), Ratkovica quickly made us feel safe 5 seconds before the end (71:76), the Greek team squeezed in a 3-pointer in the very last seconds (74:76). It was time to celebrate, together as well as separated.

(photos: basketballcl.com)

Return game will be on 22nd February in Belgrade.

PAOK: Chrysikopulos (8), Koniaris (3), Tsochlas (2), Margaritis (7), McFadden (20), Miljenović (5), Glyniadakis, Karamanolis, Sibert (18), Papadopulos, Peiners (7), Clanton (4)

KK Partizan: Robinson (2), Ratkovica (10), Vrabac, Marinković (10), Majstorović, Birčević (10), Koprivica (2), Andrić (8), Hatcher (27), Pot, Karahodžić (2), Luković (5)

Highlights:

KK Partizan - Mega Leks 88:79 (ABA Liga, round 11)

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.

Highlights:

KK Partizan: Robinson (5), Ratkovica (9), Vrabac, Marinković (9), Veličković (10), Birčević (15), Koprivica (2), Andrić (8), Hatcher (16), Pot, Karahodžić, Luković (12)

Mega Leks: Mushidi (11), Đoković, Jaramaz (16), Spasojević, Milisavljević, Glogovac (4), Kaba (11), Zagorac (15), Čančar (5), Simenunović (5), Tejić, Novak (12)

League table comes later.

(photos: aba-liga.com)

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

MZT Skopje - KK Partizan 62:93 (ABA Liga, round 2)

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.

Highlights:

MZT Skopje: Cvetkovski, Thames (20), Thomas, Mekić, Massey (15), Kloof (4), Simonovski (5), Lučić (9), Mladenovski (1), Scott (8), Lalić

KK Partizan: Robinson, Ratkovica (5), Vrabac, Marinković (16), Veličković (5), Majstorović (11), Birčević (19), Koprivica, Andrić (8), Hatcher (21), Pot, Luković (8)

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

(photos: aba-liga.com)