Tajfun Šentjur - KK Partizan 65:83 (Adriatic League, Round 24)

Yesterday I was sick, I had to stay in bed all day long. I couldn’t even turn on the PC. I write this blogpost in hindsight, after ArenaSport had a rerun of this match today in the morning.

At first it looks like a happy training match. We won with almost 20 points of difference. The reality was far not this easy, on the contrary.
Tajfun immediately had a jump to 5:0, while we collected 2 fouls during the first 2 minutes. We equalized with the scores of Murić and Koprivica (5:5), but the home team took back the lead (9:5). Well, they didn’t just take it back, but they kept it. 12:7, 13:10, at this point Jones made a fantastic steal and finished it with a dunk

then finally we took the lead with Vitkovac’s basket (13:14).
Well, our joy didn’t last long. Tajfun got free throws twice in a row, they scored from both (17:14), while Partizan looked a bit cramped. Williams equalized (17:17), but Tajfun was leading again (20:17). Something didn’t work in our machine. We finished the first quarter with 25:19.

Koprivica and Jones hold a Tajfun-player in a "sandwich"

In the second quarter we reduced the difference to 28:26. Tajfun quickly jumped to 31:26. We again reduced to 31:30 (by Jones and Wilson), then Jones took us back the lead (31:32).
Again it didn’t take long for Tajfun to get it back (35:32). They were cheekier and more aggressive than us. We equalized (35:35, Marinković), Tajfun was leading again (37:35). Aleksandar Džikić asked for time-out. He surely made something with the players, because at this point we sped up. We took back the lead (37:38), then Milutinović and Wilson increased our advantage to 39:43. There was one home team score before the end, we finished the first half with 41:43.

Vrabac fighting with Parker

In the beginning of the second half Murić and Wilson made our position sure (41:50).

Murić was on high speed for the whole game, he ran, he blocked, he scored, he was the hero of the day.

Here Tajfun scored (43:50), and for quite a long time that was the only score they could make. All their attempts failed, even a hook rebounded from the ring. Meanwhile we were flying upt to 43:58.
It was around the end of the quarter, when Tajfun picked themselves together a bit (48:60). But Murić was unstoppable. A 3-pointer here (48:63), a 3-pointer there (49:66). Wilson also scored one (52:69), just to make everything sure.

Vrabac trying to stop Ponjavić

In the last quarter we increased our advantage to 20 points (56:76), then for a long time none of the teams could score. Finally Tajfun broke the silence (58:76). No problem, Milutinović scored, too, the difference was again 20 points (58:78). Tajfun then made a jump to 63:78, Aleksandar Džikić asked for time-out

it was tough, he scolded someone in live broadcast shouting "what the fuck is wrong with you"

then we walked back to the court - and it was Vrabac-time.

After this Vrabac got a bonuss hot (63:81), then he scored another basket (63:83). There was just one free throw left for Tajfun 23 seconds before the end (65:83).
The League made some highlights about Edo Murić, he was the MVP of the game (22 points, 5 rebounds - defensive -, 4 assists). Click, watch, get amazed and salute.

Highlights:

Tajfun Šentjur: S. Sebić (2), M. Sebić (7), Debelak, Držić (2), Čebular (15), Germek, Bratož (9), Clark (8), Ponjavić (12), Drobnjak, Bolčina (8), Parker (2)

KK Partizan: Aranitović, Jones (12), Murić (22), Marinković (5), Vitkovac (9), Koprivica (6), Magdevski, Milutinović (5), Williams (3), Vrabac (9), Wilson (12)

League table will be brought later.
Update: current League standings
1. Budućnost 46 points
2. CZ 42 points
3. Cedevita 42 points
4. Mega Leks 40 points
5. Partizan 35 points
6. Cibona 35 points
7. Zadar 35 points
8. Union Olimpija 34 points
9. MZT Skopje 33 points
10. Igokea 33 points
11. Krka 33 points
12. Metalac 33 points
13. Sutjeska 32 points
14. Tajfun Šentjur 31 points
(photos: aba-liga.com)

KK Partizan - Tajfun Šentjur 89:85 (Adriatic League, Round 11)

This was not a simple victory, this was a resurrection. It’s amazing what we made in the last quarter.

Warming up

(photo: abaliga.com)

Partizan played in front of almost empty stands, it was rather sad to see. Also, upon informations the German female basketball team wanted to have a training in Pionir Hall from 19:00 (Serbian and German female basketball teams play European Championship qualifying tomorrow in Belgrade), so even time was a bit limited.

Start-off

(photo: Twitter)

The first quarter started a bit slowly, guests took the lead (2:4), then came Aranitović and switched the standing (5:4). The rest of the quarter was spent with easy basketball playing. We were leading for the whole time with 5-7 points, Vrabac and Milutinović had a great time. At this point it seemed that we beat the league newbie with a routine victory.
Well, we didn’t.
We finished the first part with 20:15, in the second part it was 30:23, most of all by Kevin Jones. But then Tajfun equalized (30:30), while we couldn’t score one single 3-pointer. The guests took the lead and for a long time they didn’t let us take it back.

Well, let’s see the positive side of it: the difference never grew into two-digit. Optimism is important, isn’t it?

We were struggling. Our defense line was like a corridor. If we could score, it was mostly from free throws. Tajfun continuously had a 3-4-point advantage. It doesn’t look that dangerous at the first glance, but it was still very bothersome, because on our side nothing seemed to work out. We finished the first half with 39:42.

(photo: abaliga.com)

In the third quarter we continued to struggle. Tajfun had numerous steals and increased their difference to 43:47.
And then came Vitkovac and Jones. We took back the lead (48:47).
Marinković demonstrated the block of the round.

At this part of the game the counter was switching there and back. The two teams grabbing out the lead from each other’s hands, 50:49, 50:51, 52:51, then the guests scored a 3-pointer, we equalized (54:54), but the Slovenian team took back the lead again. We finished the third part with 58:61.
The last quarter started with Anđušić equalizing (61:61). Tajfun fought hard and took back the lead (61:63) and did not want to let it out of their hands. We were behind always with only 1-2 points, sometimes we could even equalize, but Tajfun immediately took back the lead again. Finally after sweating blood we took the lead with Anđušić’s 3-pointer (74:73). Cvetković also scored one (77:73), but soon after he was fouled out. Tajfun reduced the difference to 77:75, at this point Vitkovac scored (79:75). Tajfun reduced the difference again, the standing was 79:78. Aranitović and Anđušić increased it to 83:78. Tajfun again reduced (83:81), it was Jones’s turn now (85:81). Tajfun’s players got more and more rough. There was not even half a minute left, when referees whistled 3 free throws in a line. First for Jones (87:84), then for Tajfun (87:85), finally for Anđušić (89:85). For the last seconds there was just some nerve-racking wrestling left, and then we could celebrate.

(photos: Twitter)

Highlights:

KK Partizan: Cvetković (11), Aranitović (14), Jones (17), Marinković (10), Vitkovac (10), Đumić (2), Koprivica, Perović, Milutinović (7), Vrabac (6), Wilson (2), Anđušić (10)

Tajfun Šentjur: Sebić (5), Držić, Čebular (29), Zimič, Bratož (10), Clark (7), Ponjavić (11), Drobnjak (2), Bolčina (14), Parker (7)

League table comes later.

Update: current standing of the League
1. Budućnost 20 points
2. CZ 19 points
3. Cedevita 19 points
4. Mega Leks 19 points
5. Zadar 17 points
6. Krka 17 points
7. Igokea 16 points
8. MZT Skopje 15 points
9. Union Olimpija 15 points
10. Cibona 15 points
11. Partizan 15 points
12. Tajfun Šentjur 15 points
13. Metalac 15 points
14. Sutjeska 14 points