Partizan Mozzart Bet take a 2:0 lead in the Finals in front of 18,477 fans
In the second game of the AdmiralBet ABA League Finals, Partizan Mozzart Bet have once again defended their home court against Crvena zvezda Meridianbet and are now 2:0 up in the Final series.
Zach LeDay (Photo: Partizan Mozzart Bet/Emilija Jovanovic)
AdmiralBet ABA League Finals, Round 2, Thursday, 15 June 2023:
PARTIZAN MOZZART BET - Crvena zvezda Meridianbet 87:78 (23:22, 21:22, 24:18, 19:16)
Game recap: In the second game of the AdmiralBet ABA League Finals, Partizan Mozzart Bet have once again defended their home court against Crvena zvezda Meridianbet and are now 2:0 up in the Final series. Just like in the Game 1 of the Finals, Partizan Mozzart Bet have emerged victorious in the second game of the series and are now just one step away from returning to the regional league throne for the first time since the 2012/13 season. They will have the first opportunity to crown themselves champions on Sunday, when Game 3 will take place at Crvena zvezda Meridianbet home court in Aleksandar Nikolić Hall.
Once again, Partizan Mozzart Bet have improved the all-time AdmiralBet ABA League single-game attendance record, which they have set in Game 1 on Tuesday. This time, no less than 18,477 fans have visited the Štark Arena, which is the all-time high of the regional competition.
Key moments: It has been a close game for the majority of the playing time. After the first quarter Partizan Mozzart Bet were ahead by a point (23:22), and Crvena zvezda Meridianbet tied the clash by halftime at 44:44. Partizan Mozzart Bet pulled away midway through the third quarter, as they made a 10:1 run, that converted Zvezda’s 1-point lead (49:50) into their 8-point lead (59:51), between 24th and 26th minute of the game. After that, Crvena zvezda Meridianbet did not manage to make the game even again. They did cut the gap to only 4 points with just as many minutes left in the game (78:74), but the hosts fought back again and entered the final minute with an 8-point lead (84:76). In the remaining 60 seconds of the clash, the red and white simply did not manage to turn the game around and the crowd in the stands celebrated.
Man of the match: James Nunnally was the key to the Partizan Mozzart Bet win this time. He had a game-high 15 points, while shooting 4/7 (57%) from beyond the arc, adding 2 rebounds, just as many assists, and a valuation of 16 to his stats. He is our man of the match!
Can’t trick the stats: It has been field goal percentage, that separated the two squads this time in otherwise pretty close contest in every statistical aspect. While Partizan Mozzart Bet had 56% from the field, Zvezda had only 47% and this secured the win for the squad, led from the bench by head coach Željko Obradović.
