KK Partizan - Zadar 87:76 (Adriatic League, Round 23)

Tonight my net connection followed the events of the game.
At the beginning it worked, but with lagging. In the second quarter it died, I missed out most of that part. Then in the half time it came back to life, sped up and for the rest of the game it was like as if I had the most brutal glass fibre cables with the broadest band internet connection. Absolutely no lagging, it was all smooth.
It was the same with Partizan. Things worked in the first quarter, but for the second - as reports say - Zadar took control in their hands and it looked very sad and bitter for Partizan. Then who knows what Aleksandar Džikić told them in the half time, or maybe they all chewed enriched uranium rods, because five roaring lions appeared on the court for the second half and they tore Croatians into small pieces.
At first we switched the standing from 0:3 to 4:3, meanwhile Cvetković collected two personal fouls within one and a half minutes.

Referees heavily disliked Cvetković tonight. Not just him, but Partizan overall.

Zadar took back the lead (4:6), Murić equalized from free throw (6:6), and what came then...
Dear passengers, please, fasten your seatbelts, Murić Airlines’s flight to Belgrade departs right now.

We jumped to 16:6 (!!!) with the baskets of Cvetković, Jones and Murić. After a while we were leading to 20:9, but Zadar reduced it to 23:15.

At this point the stream was already lagging heavily.

Murić set back the 10-point difference (25:15), but Zadar could gain 3 more points from field goal and free throw. We finished the first quarter with 25:18.

(photo: aba-liga.com)

Nobody suspected anything even in the beginning of the second quarter. We were leading to 30:22, then Croatians started to throw baskets, one after the other and reduced the difference to 33:30.

At this point the stream died and I found no other working one. Nerve-racking minutes passed with pitch-black screen.

Upon match reports Zadar scored a lot of 3-pointers. First they equalized, then they took back the lead. When once the stream worked for a short while, the standing was 41:43, right after Cvetković’s basket. There was barely one minute left from the first half, Murić presented a very brave blocking, but Zadar still scored just before the end buzz, making the first half’s result to 41:45.

(photo: srbijadanas.com)

In the half-time something interesting happened. At Partizan’s matches children are allowed in the half-time pause to run and play on the court, but this time it was all silent and empty. As it turned out, a mysterious, bald man wearing all black was walking around the court, forbidding children to enter.

It was him

(photo: Twitter)

But a little girl managed to sneak on the court behind the black security guard’s back.

(photo: Twitter)

People greeted the little one with applause and ovation, while she was happly waving to the crowd.

(photo: Twitter)

Then came the second half. At first it was only struggle. Zadar made it to 41:49 and referees were against us, too. Zadar’s players fought hard in every possible and impossible way to keep us away from their paint, and the referees, well, they either whistled it off or not, according to their momentary mood.
Then something happened. Maybe the enriched uranium started to work, who knows. First Marinković scored from free throw (43:49), then Murić (45:49), also Jones (47:49). The Croatian coach asked for time-out, but when we returned to the court, Cvetković stole the ball, ran up and equalized with a fantastic goal. (49:49)

(photo: aba-liga.com)

He even took back the lead for us from free throw (51:49). Zadar equalized (51:51), but Murić came, saw and scored a great 3-pointer (54:51). Cvetković followed his example (57:51).
Referees entered.
They quickly gave a technical foul to Đumić (was it really Đumić, I’m not sure if I saw it well), while Cvetković got his 4th personal foul. But even that couldn’t stop us. We jumped to 60:52 (meanwhile someone from Partizan got another technical foul...). At 62:53 referees gave a gift free throw to Zadar (62:56), Đumić scored, finally we ended the third part of the game with 64:58.
The last quarter started with Milutinović’s amazing basket (66:58). He jumped after a rebounding ball and scored while falling.

(photo: Twitter)

We kept Zadar under harder and harder pressure and reached the 10-point difference (70:60) with Vrabac’s basket.

(photo: aba-liga.com)

Zadar’s coach asked for time-out, but even that didn’t help. Williams scored twice (74:62), Zadar fought with tooth and nail - and with legs. (Once there was an actual football match inside Partizan’s paint, referees didn’t whistle.) They could reduce it to 74:66. Williams set back the 10-point difference (76:66), Wilson scored a 3-pointer (79:66), so did Cvetković (82:66). Zadar threw a 3-pointer, too, just like Murić (85:69). And even that didn’t matter that Cvetković was fouled out 77 seconds before the end, and Zadar got a gift free throw (85:71). Murić added two points from free throw (87:71), Zadar desperately fought and finally managed to earn 5 more points, but the imposing difference was still there (87:76).
Time to celebrate, time to shake hands with fans.

(photo: aba-liga.com)

(photos: Twitter)

Highlights:

KK Partizan: Cvetković (15), Aranitović, Jones (17), Murić (20), V. Marinković (4), Vitkovac, Đumić (8), Magdevski, Milutinović (8), Williams (6), Vrabac (4), Wilson (5)

Zadar: Bašić (5), Cosey (19), Kraljević (6), Šango, Delaš (8), Špaleta, M. Ramljak (9), Bošnjak (7), I. Marinković (7), Barać (15), I. Ramljak

League table will be brought later.
Update: current standing of the League
1. Budućnost 44 points
2. CZ 40 points
3. Cedevita 40 points
4. Mega Leks 39 points
5. Cibona 33 points
6. Partizan 33 points
7. Zadar 33 points
8. MZT Skopje 32 points
9. Union Olimpija 32 points
10. Igokea 32 points
11. Krka 32 points
12. Metalac 32 points
13. Sutjeska 31 points
14. Tajfun Šentjur 30 points

KK Zadar - KK Partizan 65:61 (Adriatic League, Round 10)

Again a game which was won by the referees for the opponent, damn it.

I hate this rotten league. It’s impossible that only such corrupted referees are available, and there’s not a single game without scandalous judgements. This entire league should be bombed to the ground, and re-built from scratch.

Earlier this week there were (unofficial) rumours that Mihajlo Andrić’s injury is much more serious than it was expected, so Partizan’s small forward is unavailable for quite a while
Partizan’s newly signed American-Finnish player Jamar Wilson debuted on this match.
The game started with a minute of silence for the memory of the terror attack victims in Paris.

At the startoff Jones grabbed the ball, he even scored but the referees invalidated his basket for some reason.
The first quarter was terrible. Zadar sped up and made it to 8:1. For us nothing worked. The home team’s defense was brutal, they blocked all our attempts. The standing was 15:7, when Wilson entered the court.
After he entered, he scored a floater as well.

We started to reduce the difference, slowly, with blood, sweat and the teamwork of Wilson and Vitkovac. The standing was 15:14, with great battle on the court. Players had combative fight (at some points they played some basketball as well...), at a point you could see Vrabac and Wilson, being pressured into the floor by a few Croatian players. Home team members didn’t spare their energies to tear Partizan-players to pieces. Referees didn’t mind it, they watched with great amusement how Croats make ćevapi from our boys. We finished the first part with 21:14.
Right at the beginning of the second part Vitkovac quickly scored a 3-pointer (21:17), he even got a bonus shot (21:18), the situation looked much less depressing. Just the problem was that Croatians made a 6-point series (27:18). We still reduced the difference to 6 points, thanks to Vitkovac.

It wasn’t that easy for Vitkovac either, Croatians put him into a "sandwich" whenever he could get the ball

Then nothing worked for quite a while. Zadar made a blockade around their backboard, stole the ball, for our luck they scored only from a free throw (29:21). Then finally Wilson scored for us (29:23), but Zadar increased the difference to 10+ points (34:23). Here Vitkovac took control into his hands.

It was amazing what this guy was doing in the second quarter.

He alone reduced the difference to 36:28.
What is more, at the very end Vrabac threw the ball to the basket from the half line - and he scored! But referees invalidated his score.

Krka did the same at the match ending buzz, referees validated the score for them. May the entire league rot in hell for ever.

Cvetković is trying to find his way near Zadar’s American player Cosey, while Perović and Anđušić are assisting

We started the third quarter with Milutinović’s 3-pointer (38:31). At 40:32 it was his turn again (40:35). Then came Marinković, he even got a bonus shot (40:38). The differenc was only 2 points. Zadar sped up, using an aggressive foul-court press (44:38). There was again a great battle on the court with one-to-one fights. Milutinović reduced the difference to 4 points (44:40). Then at 46:42 Marinković made an amazing steal and...

Then came Jones.
First he equalized (46:46), then took us the lead (46:49) and didn’t stop (46:51). Referees quickly put themselves into action, after a multiple-men fight they whistled foul to Cvetković. The slow motion replay did not show anything, while Cvetković got a laughing fit after hearing the referees’ judgement. Zadar got their fine little free throw, they thanked (48:51) and they even equalized before the end of the quarter (51:51).
In the last part it was the same as in the beginning of the game, Jones scored, the referees invalidated his basket. There was such a great battle on the court, especially at Partizan’s backboard that at this point ArenaSport’s commentator got a laughing fit. Never mind, Jones scored again, now it was valid (51:53) and then came Milutinović’s fantastic moment.

At 54:57 Jones came, saw and scored again (54:59). Zadar again equalized (59:59), they even got a free throw. None of the two shots could get into the ring; Partizan was about to run up and attack, when the referees whistled and Zadar had to re-throw the second shot. That got into the ring (60:59).

Thanks, you idiotic referee. We’ll never forget this to you.

From this point we were struggling. At 62:60 Cvetković was fouled out. At 64:60 Aranitović got a smash into his face under Zadar’s backboard, but referees didn’t care. There were only 8 seconds left from the game, when Vitkovac clashed with a Zadar-player. Partizan’s power forward fell onto the ground, it was so tough that he had to leave the court.
I bet you find out what happened next.
You’re right. Referees whistled foul - on Vitkovac. With this surprise free throw Zadar won the game (65:61).

KK Zadar: Bašić, Cosey (10), Kraljević (8), Šango, Delaš (27), Špaleta, M. Ramljak (2), Bošnjak, I. Marinković (6), Barać (6), I. Ramljak (6), Pašalić

KK Partizan: Cvetković (3), Aranitović, Jones (16), V. Marinković (7), Vitkovac (13), Đumić (2), Koprivica, Perović, Milutinović (11), Vrabac, Wilson (7), Anđušić (2)

Highlights:

Current standing of the League:
1. Budućnost 18 points
2. CZ 17 points
3. Cedevita 17 points
4. Mega Leks 17 points
5. Igokea 15 points
6. Zadar 15 points
7. Krka 15 points
8. MZT Skopje 14 points
9. Union Olimpija 14 points
10. Cibona 14 points
11. Tajfun Šentjur 14 points
12. Metalac 14 points
13. Partizan 13 points
14. Sutjeska 13 points

(photos: Facebook/KK Partizan)

KK Partizan - KK Zadar 87:53 (Adriatic League)

Approx. 90 minutes before the start Mačvan appeared on the court and started to warm up.

(photo: Twitter)

He was followed by the others.

(photo: Twitter) 

The audience was gathering, too.

(photo: Twitter)

The match started with a minute-long silence for the memory of the victims of the helicopter tragedy on Saturday.

(photo: hotsport.rs)

Then the two teams clashed. Within a short time we took the lead to 10:4. New boy Akognon quickly made himself to the scorers’ list with a fantastic 3-pointer.

(photo: hotsport.rs)

Yet the guests equalized for the second half of the quarter (15:15). We missed out a horror amount of chances and Zadar took advantage of them, as much that they switched the standing on their side. We finished the quarter with 15:20, the defense of the guests was made from concrete. Sometimes one could have the impression their entire bench was jostling under the backboard. We even made that mistake that we fumbled too long and ran out of time. Our player was standing in the paint with a desperate face and the buzz was ringing.

Time-out

(photo: Twitter)

The start of the second quarter was not delightful either. Right as we ran out to the court, the ball was stolen from Milutinov (15:22). At 17:24 Kraljević blocked Marinković so heavily that Partizan’s young player could only gasp for breath.

Duško Vujošević sitting next to the judges’ table

(photo: Twitter)

There was a great fight on the court, literally. Both sides used their strongest defense, there was always at least three, four, sometimes even five players waiting for the attacker under the backboard. Despite all these forces we reduced the difference to 25:26, thanks to Murić’s giant 3-pointer among others.
And then came Josh Akognon.

(photo: hotsport.rs)

At 25:26 Akognon scored such a huge 3-pointer that the plaster on Pionir Hall’s walls started to fall down (28:26). The hall exploded, it made Mačvan speed up, increasing the difference with great teamwork (32:26). Dallo didn’t want to be missed out either (34:26). Murić’s score closed the first half (36:28).

Gregor Balažic was watching the game with his wife

(photo: hotsport.rs) 

In the half-time a lot of children were playing on the court

(photos: Twitter)

The third quarter was opened by Akognon (39:28) and continued by Murić, who got a rebound and mercilessly took advantage of it (41:28).

(photo: hotsport.rs)

And then came Milosavljević.
Captain Dragan Milosavljević.
He came, he saw and he dunked.

(photo: hotsport.rs)

After Milosavljević’s great dunk the entire bench jumped up and ran on the court to celebrate. On this photo Đumić greets the Captain.

(photo: Twitter)

From this point on there was no stop. Zadar was trying though (43:30), even from free throw (45:32), but Partizan rushed over them, like a lunatic steam roller. Akognon had a great score, assisted by Mačvan (47:32), then he ran up on the court, passed to Milutinov, who gave it to Mačvan. Mačvan scored a giant 3-pointer (50:34).

It can’t be any better

(photo: hotsport.rs)

High five to Akognon after a great action

(photo: Twitter)

Marinković is watching

(photo: Twitter)

And so on. Milosavljević scored from Mačvan’s rebound (52:39), then the Captain passed the ball to Milutinov with a brilliant movement, passing behind his back. (55:39) Dallo put the dot to the letter i at the end of the quarter (59:39). With his score the difference was 20 points.

The whole bench jumped up and screamed after Dallo’s score

(photo: Twitter)

The end was a festival.
3-pointer king Andrić said hi (62:39), followed by Marinković’s score (64:39), then came Dallo with bonus shot (67:39). Zadar collapsed. Nothing worked for them, all their tryings got rebound from the ring.

Brothers: Dallo and Akognon

Tepić was playing with this waistband

(photos: Twitter)

For the end Đumić sped up and brought scores.

(photo: hotsport.rs)

The difference grew to 30 points (72:41). Zadar could score from free throws (72:43), then it was Marinković-time (83:48). The only question left was if we can make the 40-point difference. We couldn’t, though the guest team fell to atoms for the end. They could score only from free throws, all their attempts for action goal were missed out.

At the end I felt for them, really.

Đumić scored the last basket of the game (87:53). Zadar could make a dunk at the very end, right at the buzz, but the judges invalidated it.

I didn’t get it. That one basket wouldn’t have made any difference for the final result. Even the guest team could have had their peace that they could still score a dunk at the end, to prove themselves and their glory. Whom would it have made pain to?...

It was time to celebrate.

(photo: Twitter) 

(photo: hotsport.rs) 

Akognon was surrounded by fans. He was the favourite, everyone wanted a photo with him and he eagerly smiled to everyone.

(photo: Twitter) 

(photo: hotsport.rs) 

In the middle of the crowd there is somewhere Akognon there. Every fan wanted him.

(photo: Twitter)

Akognon was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of fans.

Post by Josh Akognon.

Highlights:

League standings after 25 rounds:
1. Crvena Zvezda 48 points
2. Budućnost Podgorica 43 points
3. Partizan 43 points
4. Cedevita 42 points
5. Union Olimpija 39 points
6. Metalac 38 points
7. Krka 37 points
8. Szolnoki Olaj 37 points
9. Zadar 36 points
10. Mega Leks 35 points
11. Igokea 34 points
12. Cibona 34 points
13. MZT Skopje 32 points
14. Levski Sofia 27 points

KK Zadar - KK Partizan 69:68 (Adriatic League)

This was a match to forget.

I tell you all: if anyone wants to mock or make Andrić ridiculous, then please, throw yourselves off from Taygetus now.

Zadar kept the whole match under control. We could equalize maybe once, for a very short while, but it was gone.
The first quarter passed mostly with them leading with 1-2 throws, while we tried to keep the pace. It happened at this point that we equalized to 10:10. The quarter ended with 15:12, and even that last basket from us was thrown by Milutinov after long moments of wrestling, shortly before the end buzz.
Our ordeal continued in the second quarter. We had a bad day with bad luck, nothing wanted to work. It wasn’t much of our comfort that Zadar was also struggling with throwing baskets, but luck was still on their side.
Well, we could still make it. See here Saša Pavlović pushing himself through two Croatian players, then throwing a basket as if it was the world’s easiest task.

We could come up to 30:26, thanks to Pavlović and Gagi Kapiten. The half-time was 34:27.
Right at the beginning of the next quarter Gagić fell on the floor and stayed there with a painful face. He was supported by two people while jumping off the court on one leg. For a while he was out. (Though at first he looked as if he would be out for at least a few weeks.)

With the help of Mačvan and Marinković we could make it to 34:32. Both sides had a lot of missed chances, then at 38:34 Gagić, the hero returned to the battle. Yet the overall situation didn’t change, Zadar was always ahead with 2-4 points. Before the end of the quarter we had this scene, then we headed to the final with 50:42.

In the last quarter Pavlović made this, assisted by Dallo:

Other than this we hung in there heroically. Milutinov had a dunk, then later he came up for a free throw with painful waist (61:56). He had to come off, he was substituted by Bogdanović. The last minutes were full of free throws, there were many fouls. Milosavljević was fouled out. At 66:61 Andrić threw a 3-pointer. Zadar kept their advantage from free throw (68:64), Andrić’s answer was another 3-pointer (68:67). Another free throw for Zadar (69:67), and at this point, just a few seconds from the end Partizan also got a free throw. Andrić stood to the paint area - and the second throw was missed out. That’s it, boys. You’re all heroes.

Andrić, you’re especially a hero. I hope you would never think we stop believing you even for a moment.