KK Partizan - Crvena Zvezda 65:70 (play-off, final, 4th match)

This is when you feel like a full spittoon. Even when you deliberately slept it over. Even if you were somewhat prepared for this. If I can be this very brutally honest: deep inside I wasn’t surprised on the end result. I had a feeling for the entire final series that this Partizan won’t be able to compete with this very strong, well-organized, well-prepared Crvena Zvezda.
It still feels terrible though :(
Many came again to support the team.

Danilo Anđušić...

...Kosta Perović...

...Miloš Vujanić and Milenko Tepić...

...Nikola Milutinov and Nemanja Bezbradica...

(photos: hotsport.rs)

...Nemanja Mihajlović...

(photo: Twitter)

...on this photo it’s not exactly Nikola Peković is the main figure, but rather Vladimir Volkov in the background... 

(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

...our water polo players were also there...

A photo posted by Nikola Jaksic (@njaksic) on Jun 9, 2016 at 1:26pm PDT

...as well as Joffrey Lauvergne...

(photo: hotsport.rs)

...who got a fantastic ovation from Partizan-fans

Meanwhile the boys walked out to the court...

(photo: hotsport.rs)

...Lauvergne was singing "Dobro pamtim sve" together with the fans...

...one last group hug and discussion before the start...

(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

...and we gave it a kickstart.
Less than two minutes passed when Murić got his first foul.

It came to my mind that betting offices should have an option for people to bet not just for the end result or the winner, but also for Murić on how soon he gets his first personal foul. You get what I mean. Within how many minutes or even seconds arrives the first foul. As an extra possibility people could even bet whether he’ll reach his third foul within the first quarter. It would be a smash hit. (I’d like a few-percent-slice for my idea, thank you.)

After 4:4 we took a confident lead (12:6). Zvezda was seemingly confused. Again there were too many fouls, we again missed out a lot of attempts, but we were leading (14:9).

In the 7th minute Murić got his 3rd foul. His performance was catastrophal, not just on this very game, but on every match of the final series. Foul within a minute, 3 fouls within the first quarter... It might be fine on one single match, especially on a derby. But on ALL matches... it’s just too much.
Don’t come up with the counter-argument that Dangubić also got his 3rd foul in the first quarter. I couldn’t care less for Dangubić, and I think a Partizan-player should have enough self-control not to get involved into so many mistakes right at the beginning of the game.

Zvezda jumped from 19:13 to 20:18. Milutinović scored in the very last moment, just at the end buzz. We finished the first quarter with 22:18.

Andreja Milutinović

(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

At the beginning of the second quarter Zvezda took the lead (22:23). Not much later Micić got a technical foul, we took back the lead by the free throw that followed (25:23). Both teams fought hard so much, that soon Lazić also got a technical foul.

The referee was the same as on the first two games, but this time he was surprisingly (or even shockingly) impartial.

We were leading to 29:23 with a 7-point-series behind us when a firecracker was thrown to the court.

The game halted, everyone was complaining, for this or that reason. Then when we could finally continue, we started with missing out 3 chances for 3-pointer in a row. Aleksandar Džikić asked for time-out, he could somehow shake us up. (31:27)

Did I hear well that fans here started to chant "Duško Vujošević, ša la la la la"?...

Zvezda reduced the difference to 31:30. Jones was fouled 3 times in a row within a few seconds. Veličković kept the spirit in the team. The standing was cluse, but at least we were leading (37:36). The game was tensed, but exciting in the second quarter - definitely better and more exciting than the previous three.
Zvezda took back the lead with a 3-pointer (37:39), and even though we equalized once (39:39, Marinković), they were leading again in the half-time. (39:41)

Fans clashed in the half-time - because no game can pass without war

The third quarter was awful. At the beginning Murić was fouled for the 4th time and it was absolutely legitimate.

We were in the middle of an attack when he pushed Jović to the ground. Obvious offensive foul. Obvious and totally unnecessary.

Zvezda played more and more self-confident while we had beginner’s mistakes. Traveling, running out of time, foul after foul... Jones wanted to throw a 3-pointer, the ball rebounded, someone wanted to push it back to the ring, the ball rebounded again. We fell apart. The opponent was leading (44:50) and the worst was that they played the very same player-to-player defense with full court press tactics they did during the previous matches. As if there's no remedy against them... We got nervous more and more, which brought more and more mistakes (missed-out attempts, long row of rebounds while the opponent controlled the boards). We tried this hang-on-the-opponent-under-the-board trick, but it didn’t work out. It ended with a defensive foul every time, including the usual free throw for the other side. It was 46:54 before the end, when Wilson could score one more just at the end buzz (48:56).

Jamar Wilson

(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

For the last quarter we lost control. Zvezda took back the two-digit advantage (50:60). In the middle of the quarter players got into a combat fight. Zirbes started to push Jones, then picked up a fight with Wilson, too. Everyone was nervous. Lazić was fouled out, followed by Wilson not much later. We struggled, but all our attempts rebounded. Zvezda was leading (61:65), then 39 seconds before the end we reduced the difference to 2 points with Murić’s free throw (63:65). Zvezda’s head coach asked for time-out. Tension grew, only 25 seconds were left. Free throw for Zvezda (63:67). Aleksandar Džikić asked for time-out. We walked back to the court, Jones scored (65:67) only 19 seconds before the end, after great struggle. Zvezda again asked for time-out. We walked back to the court. Vitkovac got fouled, free throw for Zvezda (65:69). A last, desperate attempt by us for a 3-pointer. We miss it out. The whole team is totally nervous. Only 7 seconds are left. Free throw for Zvezda. They score one (65:70). We have time only to throw the ball in to the court. End buzz. The end. That was all.
Grave Diggers welcomed the team as if they had won the title, and not the other side.

The organizers learned from their mistakes (a few years ago Partizan won the title, the championship silverware was put on display, and Simonović simply stole it and disappeared with it among their fans), this time security guards kept the chalice

Novica Veličković at the end of the game. He was the only one here, or even at the entire final series who really deserved Partizan’s jersey

(photos: Twitter)

At the post-match press conference Aleksandar Džikić confirmed that Kevin Jones leaves Partizan. The reason is simple: he asked for such a salary that Partizan cannot afford. Jones will probably continue his career in NBA.
Still not confirmed though, but it seems most players will stay at Partizan. Vrabac, Marinković, Cvetković, Andrić and Koprivica are more or less sure. Veličković’s contract expires, but the team will do everything to keep him. Murić is not sure, but his stay cannot be excluded either.

KK Partizan: Aranitović (3), Jones (12), Murić (4), Marinković, Veličković (19), Vitkovac (4), Đumić, Magdevski, Milutinović (4), Williams (5), Vrabac (1), Wilson (13)

Crvena Zvezda: Kinsey (15), Rebić, Dangubić (3), Mitrović (10), Lazić, Micić (5), Simonović (15), Gudurić, Jović (3), Miller (4), Zirbes (15), Štimac

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)

Crvena Zvezda - KK Partizan 84:53 (play-off, final, 1st match)

It’s so hard. So hard to say anything on it. The end result speaks for itself.
Yes, the opponent ground us. The only reason the referees didn’t wear red-white striped jerseys is probably that they have to have a mandatory uniform on. Yes, the opponent’s fans threw the dirtiest, most vulgar curses on us (for which the basketball association will surely not punish them, or even if they will, it will be only something token).
Still there’s no explanation for our weak performance, nor for the fact that there are seemingly no useful tactics against Zvezda’s grinding style.

Teams warm up before the game

(photo: Twitter)

At the beginning we led for a short while

it says all that less than a minute passed when referees fouled Murić, nobody knows why

Jones threw baskets for us, but then they took the lead (10:9). Cvetković equalized from free throw (10:10), but they immediately took back the lead (12:10). Referees gave a row of gift free throws to the other side, but even worse was that we couldn’t score any 3-pointers. Players were wrestling for the ball, Zvezda brought the best out of their man-to-man-fight tactics. These brought them a lot of steals and they paid off. The first quarter ended with 21:15, with some exaggeration we can say that the match also ended here.

Fight on the court - Wilson vs. Kinsey...

(photo: hotsport.rs)

...Williams vs. Jović

(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

The second quarter started with a struggle. No scores on both sides for long. Finally we reduced the difference to 2 points with the baskets of Cvetković and Vitkovac (24:22).
Then Zvezda jumped to 32:22.
In the meantime referees supported them with small, sometimes invisible but still significant actions. E.g. they didn’t mind a Partizan-player being smashed to the court, or they validated Zvezda’s almost-over-the-buzz score with a broad smile (had Partizan scored the same way, that would have been surely invalid).
We struggled. Zvezda made a 10:1 series, from us only Jones (34:25) and Veličković (39:27) could score. The hall was covered with smoke, after a few firecrackers were thrown

did I see well that one of them almost hit Murić?

and Zvezda threw just another basket at the half-time buzz. It was high time to end the first half. (42:27)

Williams in the grinder

(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

Aleksandar Atanasijević (sitting), OK Partizan’s former player came to support the team. On the photo he is with his teammate Miloš Nikić from the national team

(photo: hotsport.rs)

In the third quarter Zvezda continued to grind us, while we just couldn’t take up the gauntlet. We were just fumbling... And then Cvetković got injured after clashing with the opponent, he couldn’t continue the game.
Zvezda put us under very heavy pressure. It was so hard that we couldn’t even throw the ball and ran out of time. Or if someone was brave enough to break under the backboard, he got torn to pieces. They did whatever they wanted... they reached the 20-point-difference as well (58:38).

It just came to my mind that we deserve to be behind them this much for this impotent performance.

The quarter ended with 64:39.

Grave Diggers

(photo: hotsport.rs)

The last quarter was merely a desperate struggle by us.

National team member Štimac was the biggest disappointment. He has been turned into a real moron (and he seemingly didn’t protest against this role). Do state dotation and the presence of this political mastodon Nebošja Čović matter this much?...

We collapsed. It’s needless to get into details... Zvezda took advantage of all our weaknesses.
Next game will be on Sunday from 21:00. ArenaSport 1 broadcasts it live.

Crvena Zvezda: Kinsey (2), Rebić, Dangubić, Mitrović (8), Micić (9), Simonović (11), Gudurić (1), Jović (15), Miller (24), Zirbes (6), Štimac (5)

KK Partizan: Cvetković (6), Aranitović (2), Jones (9), Murić (3), Marinković, Veličković (3), Vitkovac (2), Đumić (4), Milutinović (2), Williams (10), Vrabac (4), Wilson (8)

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)