Belgrade is red-and-white as Crvena zvezda mts beat Partizan NIS
Crvena zvezda mts have defeated Partizan NIS in the first Belgrade derby of the season.
Ognjen Dobric (Photo: AdmiralBet ABA League/Dragana Stjepanovic)
AdmiralBet ABA League Round 8, Sunday, 14 November 2021:
CRVENA ZVEZDA MTS - Partizan NIS 71:56 (15:8, 17:13, 15:19, 24:16)
Game recap: In front of more than 7,000 red-and-white fans in Aleksandar Nikolić Hall, Crvena zvezda mts have defeated Partizan NIS at home court in the 1st big Belgrade derby of the season. The reigning champions have once again presented a powerful defensive display. After all, they let Partizan NIS, who was the only undefeated team n the league before this round, score just 56 points for the entire game. Zvezda have been in front from the start until the finish and the red-and-whites have eventually scored a well-deserved win.
Now, the big Belgrade rivals are all tied on the top of the table as they both have the overall lscore of 6-1.
Key moments: Crvena zvezda mts made a flying start in the 2nd half as they quickly increased their lead to 17 points – 40:23, however Partizan NIS responded immediately by making 17:5 run to reduce the gap to just 5 points – 45:40. But, that was the end of the road for the visitors. Crvena zvezda mtd have made two more points until the end of the 3rd quarter – 47:40, while then they opened the 4th period with the crucial 10:2 run to get back on a double digit lead – 57:42. And, the red-and-whites have kept that 15-point lead until the end of the game.
Man of the match: Crvena zvezda mts big guy Luka Mitrović simply loves playing derby games against Partizan NIS. Even during his 1st stint with the red-and-whites, he was often the MVP of the games against the biggest rival, while this evening Mitrović shined again to lead his team toward the win. Mitrović made 16 points and 7 rebounds, while his overall index rating was 22.
Can’t trick the stats: Apart from the fact that Zvezda’s amazing defensive performance eventually decided the winner of this match, the home team played more as a team this evening. Crvena zvezda mts made 21 assists in this match, while Partizan NIS made just 10.
