Partizan Mozzart Bet survive the thriller in Čačak
Partizan Mozzart Bet made the key 13:0 run late in the 4th quarter to win the thriller vs. Borac Mozzart.
Uros Trifunovic (Photo: Borac Mozzart/Dusko Radisic)
2023/24 AdmiralBet ABA League Round 22, Monday, 11 March 2024:
Borac Mozzart - PARTIZAN MOZZART BET 77:84 (26:26, 15:23, 16:12, 20:23)
Game recap: Partizan Mozzart Bet scored a valuable road win against Borac Mozzart, but only after going through a real drama in the final minutes of the 4th quarter. The reigning champions were down by 4 points – 69:73, with a bit over 3 minutes left on the game clock, but then the black-and-whites made the key 13:0 run to turn the things in their favor in key moments – 82:73.
Partizan Mozzart Bet have therefore remained in the race for the top two positions in the regular season as they now have 3 wins less than top-placed Crvena zvezda Meridianbet and 1 win less than 2nd placed Budućnost VOLI.
On the other side, Borac Mozzart can be very proud of their performance, despite the heart-breaking defeat. The Čačak crew presented themselves as worthy opponents to the reigning champions and this match can certainly have a positive impact on the team for the rest of the season.
Key moments: When Uroš Čarapić scored a lay-up to put Borac Mozzart in front by 4 points – 73:69, with a bit over 3 minutes left on the game clock, Partizan Mozzart Bet had to call for a time-out. And that 1-minute break helped the team regroup and get back on court fully focused to regain the lead.
In the following 3 minutes, Partizan Mozzart Bet made that decisive 13:0 run to definitely win the match, while Alen Smailagić, Aleksa Avramović and Zach LeDay were the key figures during that late comeback. Smailagić scored two three-pointers, LeDay made one three-pointer, while Aleksa Avramović made four free throws and made several key defensive plays.
Man of the match: Zach LeDay had the highest index rating in the winning team (24), while he lacked just one rebound to complete a double-double. LeDay finished the match with 18 points and 9 rebounds.
Can't trick the stats: Borac Mozzart missed 7 out of their 19 free throws this evening, while some of those missed shots came in the 4th quarter when every point was highly precious.
