KK Partizan - Cibona 85:82 (Adriatic League, Round 19)

There was a big deal of excitement (even tension) in the air before this game. Earlier this week the basketball team’s management suddenly terminated the contract of head coach Petar Božić, on "mutual agreement"

even though not much earlier they had a press release making everyone sure that the head coach had got the full support of the basketball team’s presidency
(by the way: after this "event" basketball team president Nikola Peković travelled back to Minnesota, because he is in fact still the active player of Timberwolves - and they were beaten ruthlessly right at the next game by Denver Nuggets)

and they immediately signed Aleksandar Džikić.
Partizan’s bench is not new for Džikić, he had been second trainer here years ago. Then he coached Minnesota Timberwolves as well as Ljubljana and Krka, then he switched to the national team of Macedonia, and now he found himself again at Partizan, this time as head coach.
Fans were waiting for him as if he was some kind of Messiah and when he entered the hall before the game, he got a very loud applause.

In the meantime the team warmed up.

(photos: Twitter)

Then we walked out to the court.
The truth is that there was definitely a change in Partizan’s game compared to earlier days. On the court there was a much more aggressive, combative Partizan clashing with the Croatians. No idea what Džikić did to them, but if not else, he pretty much set them afire.
In the beginning Cibona was leading (2:6), then not (7:6). Then still a bit, again (7:8), but then Murić scored a 3-pointer (10:8).
From then on we kept our advantage for 3 quarters. Fans were cheering loud and enthusiastically, Wilson, Murić and Vitkovac threw one basket after the other. Cibona could score only from free throws, then at the end they could pound in a hook as a field goal after a missed-out free throw. We finished the quarter with 26:23.
Cibona equalized at the beginning of the second quarter (26:26), what is more, they even took the lead for a few seconds (Rozić stole the ball with a cheeky movement, then he ran up and dunked it in with an almost-bored looking swing, 26:28), but we quickly equalized and took back the lead (30:28). The pace slowed down a bit, but there was still a great battle on the court, players were sometimes literally wrestling for the ball. We kept on scoring, for the end of the quarter we reached the two-digit difference (46:36).
Then we did such things, too.

We finished the first half with 48:42.

(photo: aba-liga.com)

In the third quarter the pace got slow again a bit. Cibona sometimes got dangerously close to us (49:47), but Murić, Vitkovac and Jones quickly made it to 55:49. Partizan’s dominance was clear, then there was a point at 58:51, when Cvetković hammered the ball into the basket, but he was pushed hard by a Cibona-player while scoring, and "Cvele" fell right onto a cameraman, swiping him away together with his camera. The referee whistled, we got a bonus shot. Cvetković missed it out, but he caught his own rebound, then Vrabac scored (62:51).
This was the point when something broke in Cibona’s coach. All the viewer could see was him yelling with the referees, who gave him technical foul in exchange. An elderly gentleman wearing grey sweatshirt was explaining something with great gestures

later I found out he was Aleksandar Petrović, renowned Yugoslav basketball player, today the president of KK Cibona

two stewards stepped to him and discreetly asked him to leave the place. They courted him to the tunnel.

(photo: aba-liga.com)

We continued to parade, so much, that the Wilson-Vrabac duo allowed themselves even this cheeky trick.

(photo: aba-liga.com)

Cibona started to fall into pieces (Their coach sent killer looks towards the referees.) Our advantage kept on growing, 69:53, then 71:54. At the end of the quarter Đumić was fouled out, but we still had a 14-point advantage before entering the final part (73:59).

Could somebody - anybody - tell me in the meantime what the HECK was Novak Nedić doing in Pionir Hall?...

(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

Before someone would play the sentimental card and started to whine me something like "oh, but he just wanted to watch a good basketball game", then let me ask, why the hell didn't he sit onto a stand then?... Another question: did he sit there from public money, or did he pay with those dinars he earned with his own blood and sweat? (Did he pay for the entrance at all?...)

The last quarter brought an impossible, wacky game. Cibona sped up, they picked themselves together and started to score. 73:61, 73:63, here Aranitović scored a 3-pointer (76:63), but this didn’t stop Cibona. 78:68, 80:71, then 80:75, and less than two minutes were left when they took back the lead (80:81).
We got a free throw. Vitkovac took the lead back for us (82:81). Tensed nerves, great fight on the court, wrestling, pushing each other, yelling. Another free throw for Partizan, Cvetković scores, just like it’s written in the Big Book of Basketball (84:81). Cibona also got a free throw, they reduced the difference to 2 points (84:82). Unbearable tense, Vitkovac gets fouled out. Another free throw for Cibona. And they miss it out!
Only 9 seconds left. Murić and Florence almost start a fight. Partizan’s Slovenian player is pulled away by 3 teammates. The American complains. The referee whistles, free throw for Partizan. Murić scores, 85:82. Time-out. Unbelievable mass scenes. Only 4 seconds are left when Cibona attacks.
But they miss it out.
The end.
Victory.

BREAKING: During the game Partizan’s new "purchase", Darrell Williams has arrived in Belgrade.

(photo: Twitter)

KK Partizan: Cvetković (8), Aranitović (3), Jones (14), Murić (11), Marinković (11), Vitkovac (15), Đumić (5), Koprivica, Magdevski, Milutinović, Vrabac (10), Wilson (8)

Cibona: Florence (8), Krušlin (6), Hukić (3), Uljarević, Šiško, Rozić (20), Slavica (5), Joksimović (6), Andrija Žižić (11), Ante Žižić (12), Siriščević (11)

League table will be brought later.

KK Partizan - Igokea 66:73 (Adriatic League, Round 17)

We did the very same as here. We had a horror second half after an excellent first one. Though in the beginning the team was full of energy.

35 minuta pre početka meča XVII kola @ABA_League protiv Igokee, igrači Partizana su izašli na zagrevanje. pic.twitter.com/iPyHtt6kj1

— KK Partizan NIS (@PartizanBC) December 27, 2015

We warmed up...

(photos: Twitter)

...then we walked out to the court and immediately turned the standing from 2:3 to 5:3 with Wilson’s 3-pointer.

There were a very saddeningly little amount of audience in Pionir Hall. You can see on the upper photo how empty the stands are. During the game the sports hall got a bit more filled with people, but the official statistics still talk about not more than 2500 spectators.

Wilson was on full speed. He ran through the court, threw baskets, either from rebound or from free throw, the way it was just needed. The others followed his footsteps, Vrabac, Vitkovac, Cvetković, Jones, Murić all scored. For the end of the first half we were leading with more than 10 points (22:11).

(photo: aba-liga.com)

In the second quarter our advantage was still around 9 points, though around here it started to be a bit annoying that we just couldn’t throw one single 3-pointer.

The last one we managed to score was by Cvetković in the first quarter. I think I won’t spoil the end by telling you, we couldn’t score any 3-pointer for quite a long time ahead.

Not scoring any 3-pointers was just one side of the problem, but on the other, even our 2-pointer attempts failed. The ball either rebounded from the ring or we were blocked by Igokea-players. But never mind, we could still keep up our advantage. The closest Igokea could get to us was 4 points (28:24), but Wilson, Anđušić and Milutinović (with his last-minute score) ensured everyone that we are in control. We finished the second quarter with 34:28.

The only flaw of this confident leading was that it was more and more difficult for us to score, as the half-time approached. Even this last action by Milutinović was in fact a free throw. But let’s not be voracious, we are leading with 6 points, aren’t we?

(photo: aba-liga.com)

Then came the third quarter.
In the beginning it was 38:28, nobody suspected anything.
Then Igokea made it to 38:34, Petar Božić quickly asked for time-out. Then Wilson scored (40:34).
The problem was that after two and a half quarters Igokea found out that they can in fact throw 3-pointers. (40:37).
No problem, Milutinoivć threw a basket, with one bonus shot (43:37).
But Igokea equalized (43:43). Murić could score a 3-pointer (46:43), but even this didn’t help. Igokea took the lead (46:48). Anđušić equalized (48:48), but before the end buzz Igokea scored again. 48:50, buzz, we had a short time to find our breaths and then we had to enter the final part.

If I smoked, at this point I would have surely lighted a cigarette with a dry smile and a shrug. But I don’t smoke. I was just drumming nervously with the pen I was making notes with during the game, sometimes facepalming, sometimes just with a weary sigh.

(photos: aba-liga.com)

The last quarter was controlled by Igokea. We couldn’t even approach them. The closest standing was 50:52 in the beginning of the quarter, after Vrabac’s free throw. Nothing, just nothing worked for us. None of the players had any significant performance - maybe Wilson, at the beginning of the match, but later he faded and was unremarkable.

I have an always stronger impression about Anđušić that he can’t wait for his contract to expire with Partizan, so he can leave and find some other team. From an outsider’s point of view it seems, he invests more energy even into caring for his social media profiles than into his performance on matches. Maybe it’s not just a co-incidence that he appears less and less on court lately.

It was a physical pain to watch Partizan in the last quarter. After a while Igokea was leading with 10 points (52:62). We tried to reduce the difference, but it got back to 10 points after a while (56:66). Anđušić tried with a 3-pointer, but still, the difference was still 8 points (60:68). Igokea scored again (60:70). Wilson reduced it to 66:70, but all his scores were from free throws. Igokea mercilessly threw a 3-pointer 45 seconds before the end (66:73).
That was the end of all.

We screwed it up

Very much

(photos: hotsport.rs)

Nobody wants to be now in the place of Petar Božić.

(photo: aba-liga.com)

As Fellow Fan added a sharp but true comment at the end of the game: we should pray.

Highlights:

KK Partizan: Cvetković (5), Aranitović (2), Jones (8), Murić (5), Marinković (2), Vitkovac (4), Đumić, Magdevski, Milutinović (6), Vrabac (5), Wilson (20), Anđušić (9)

Igokea: Pašajlić, Krstić (10), Ćapin (8), Pešaković (2), Kesar (5), Mikulić, Booker (12), Milošević (3), Radenović (7), Radivojević (26), Talić

League table will be brought later.
Update: current standing of the League
1. Budućnost 32 points
2. Cedevita 31 points
3. CZ 30 points
4. Mega Leks 28 points
5. Krka 25 points
6. MZT Skopje 24 points
7. Cibona 24 points
8. Tajfun Šentjur 24 points
9. Zadar 24 points
10. Metalac 24 points
11. Union Olimpija 23 points
12. Igokea 23 points
13. Partizan 23 points
14. Sutjeska 22 points

New management of KK Partizan elected

I could have also gave the title "Nuclear bomb dropped".
In short: after Predrag Danilović resigned, the basketball team of Partizan elected the new team presidency. It has been an open secret for a while that his successor would be Partizan’s former, Minnesota Timberwolves’ current player, 29-year-old Nikola "Pekmen" Peković.
But the real shock brain haemorrhage surprise was not this.
It was the news that Duško Vujošević has (had to?) left Partizan’s bench.
Dear everyone, dear fellow fans and Grave Diggers, I think we can say that an era in KK Partizan’s history has ended.

We can also say that has been rumoured for a while, namely that party politics have wormed their way into the management of the basketball team.

Duško Vujošević’s successor is Partizan’s former player and second trainer, Petar Božić.

On the photo, from left to right: KK Partizan’s sports manager Dragan Todorić, Petar Božić and Duško Vujošević

(photo: kurir.rs)

The rest of the management is, as follows: KK Partizan's vice president as well as Peković’s general deputy is Miroslav Berić. Other members are: Sanja Lubardić, Maurizio Vallo, Milan Iskrin, Pero Šaranović, Ilija Dražić, Vladimir Vrbaški, Boško Janković, Ratko Čakarević, Velibor Jojić, Ivan Trifunović and Petar Grubor.

Berić (left) and Peković

(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

Photo of the day

There was press conference as well, with the usual commonplaces.

It’s very hard to say anything now, being shocked, trying to get used to the fact that Duško Vujošević is not Partizan’s head coach anymore. (The fact that he stays at the club as advisor doesn’t make it any better.) You think back of all those victories, the long list of players who worked with him and who all play now at top clubs, in NBA, in the national team of their countries. (Think of Bogdan Bogdanović and Joffrey Lauvergne.)
In these moments "thank you" is just a superficial cliché. There's not enough "thank you"-s and gratitude in this world to express it.
Stand up straight and salute.
Now.