The latest Belgrade Derby was another celebration of basketball at a packed arena and another thriller that went down to the wire between two archrivals.
The Belgrade Derby again lived up to the billing
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Belgrade Derbies simply don't disappoint.
Thursday's was the third EuroLeague edition of the Belgrade Derby and the game was another drama as well as the first victory by a home team as Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade edged Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 88-86 in a memorable way.
Partizan overcame a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit and rallied from 11 down with less than 5 minutes remaining to win the game. Partizan also survived a 28-point swing, from opening the game 17-2 to finding itself down 55-68.
"Incredible game, incredible victory", Partizan coach Zeljko Obradovic said after the game. "An incredible night that will be really difficult to forget.
"This game was all that is beautiful about basketball. So many swings in a game, good moments by both, us and Zvezda. I think everybody had a chance to see something fantastic and a quality EuroLeague game."
Fantastic it was, which we have learned to expect when Partizan and Zvezda clash.
The two teams never met in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague before last season. Their much-anticipated first-ever battle last December at Stark Arena lived up to the billing with Nemanja Nedovic knocking down the game-winning three-pointer with 2 seconds to go, giving Zvezda a 73-76 road win.
Partizan returned the favor seven weeks later, holding on to a 78-79 win at the legendary Aleksandar Nikolic Hall, a game neither team led by more than 8 points.
After Thursday's game, each of the three Belgrade derbies has been decided by 3 points or fewer. In each one of them, the winning basket was scored in the final 6 seconds of the fourth quarter.
Apart from the drama, the energy and the atmosphere in the arenas, the outcomes of the derby can carry momentum for the next part of the season. And that's exactly what Obradovic is hoping to see.
"The win should give us confidence and help us get back to playing like we are capable of," he said.
There were several keys to Partizan's victory. The first was Obradovic's adjustment and decision to play with a small lineup, which managed to slow down Zvezda's offense. Another was the performance by Aleksa Avramovic in the final 4 minutes of the game, during which he scored 12 of his team-high 14 points.
Also, there was Partizan making 9-of-20 threes for the night and then shooting free throws down the stretch better than Zvezda. All of that helped Partizan complete its rally.
"I am really proud of my players that we managed to come back in the toughest possible moment," Obradovic stated. "Psychologically, I think this was really important for us."
His team avoided falling into a 1-4 hole, which is now the case for Zvezda, which suffered its fourth straight loss. This one was with head coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos on the bench, who had a domestic league game and only three practices with the team before the derby.
"For the most part of the game we were really good," Sfairopolous said, finding positives despite a disappointing loss. "Our defense in the third quarter was excellent. We started the game really bad and we managed to come back. That is not easy against very good teams in front of their crowd. Also, the performance of Yago Dos Santos. There are positive things to build our game."
Both teams now look forward to Round 6 where Partizan will travel to face Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz while Zvezda hosts FC Bayern Munich. But before those EuroLeague challenges comes another derby. Same venue, and same hosts, but in their domestic league on Monday.
The next one in the EuroLeague is scheduled for Round 19 on January 4. Feel free to mark the date on your calendars because we have already learned how special each Belgrade Derby is.