The robust forward sank a pair of decisive free throws to delight new head coach Dusko Ivanovic and club legend Luis Scola.
Last-gasp Chima Moneke delivers on a special night for Baskonia
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Regular Season
Round 6 of 34
Regular Season
Baskonia Vitoria-GasteizBKN
8483
Partizan Mozzart Bet BelgradePAR
Overview
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Hollywood's directors would struggle to come up with a more fitting script for the fairy tale 84-83 win that Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz snatched from the jaws of defeat against the visiting Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in a pulsating Turkish Airlines EuroLeague clash on Friday night.
Baskonia’s former legendary Argentine big man Luis Scola watched the Round 6 regular-season matchup after his jersey was retired and sent up into the rafters. What’s more, victory seemed to have slipped away from the home side when Partizan grabbed an 82-83 lead with 13.2 seconds remaining.
However, there was to be a final twist as Chima Moneke grabbed an offensive rebound, drew a foul from Ognjen Jaramaz and sank both free throws to give head coach Dusko Ivanovic, back for a fourth stint at Baskonia, a dream start in the latest chapter of his illustrious career.
It was a heartbreaking loss for Partizan, whose 20-year-old power forward Tristan Vukcevic would have grabbed the headlines had the visitors won after positing 13 points in his first EuroLeague appearance of the season, 11 of them in a rip-roaring first half stint.
The game in a nutshell
The rollercoaster encounter saw Baskonia gain the upper hand in the opening two quarters on the back of 10 offensive rebounds while Partizan managed a grand total of 1, sparking furious reactions from head coach Zeljko Obradovic. The visitors stepped up their defense in the second half and carved out a 58-66 lead late in the third quarter, but they just couldn’t hold on to it.
Markus Howard, who has been struggling with long-range shooting all season, misfired aplenty again but delivered when it mattered as he sank a pair of three-pointers in a tense finish to get his side back into the game. Then, Moneke stepped up to the plate and came up big at crunch time for Baskonia.
“It feels good to help us win this game and I think it’s the start of something good,” Moneke said in a flash post-game interview. “We needed this win; it’s been a tough couple of weeks. Every game is very important and no game is going to be easy.”
Coach Ivanovic added: “I am really happy for my players, first and foremost. We had ups and downs in the game, but the team gave 100 percent and never stopped believing.”
The Montenegrin’s counterpart, Coach Obradovic, was clearly disappointed after Partizan suffered another tough road loss, having also gone down 98-94 in overtime at Olympiacos Piraeus in Round 4.
“In the first half, their offensive rebounds were a big problem, but in the second we were in control,” he commented. “In the end, an offensive rebound decided the outcome. We also made some very poor decisions on offense in the home straight.”
A night of celebrations
Ivanovic, who had won three league titles with Baskonia during his previous three stints, was all smiles at the press conference.
“Congratulations to the players and the fans,” he said. “We played with a lot of energy and belief.” The win against Partizan will be that much sweeter for the Montenegrin tactician, who was dismissed by the club’s archrival Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade only a few days before it suffered a double derby loss in quick succession.
On a night of celebrations at Buesa Arena, Ivanovic’s Baskonia side gave the fans another reason to cheer by recording the team’s first home win in the EuroLeague this season. But, as the 66-year-old stated afterward, it is only one game. Next, Baskonia faces a tricky test on the road at the 3-3 Olympiacos Piraeus.
