By Stefan Acevski/ info@eurohoops.net
Partizan secured a victory in the 35th round of the EuroLeague, which might not help them much, but will hinder their biggest rival, Crvena Zvezda.
After drama, chaos, and over two hours of basketball, Joan Penarroya’s team triumphed over their city rival (89-82), who now faces a tough battle to reach the EuroLeague Play-In, even though the Playoffs seemed within reach just two rounds ago.
However, basketball wasn’t the main impression of the match in Serbia’s capital, but rather the fans—something we might be used to in domestic competitions, but not in the EuroLeague, where penalties are stricter.
It all started before the match, when Partizan supporters threw objects at Zvezda fans, and just ten minutes later, the home team’s fans clashed with the police. We saw fights and flares, so it’s fortunate the game even started on time.
Chaos was also present during the game itself. The use of lasers, throwing objects at players on the court, occasional interruptions, all culminating 29 seconds before the end, after Carlik Jones’ decisive basket, when Zvezda fans threw objects at the guests, leading to a scuffle in front of the home team’s bench.
Tension was expected, but this time it escalated into chaos. Nevertheless, Partizan managed, despite being long out of contention for further advancement, to complicate things for Zvezda and give their fans something to cheer about in the coming days.
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