Partizan 78 – Real Madrid 85: Madrid achieves the impossible: second win in Belgrade and closer to the Final Four

Tragedy can anger, ambition, destiny. Cold preview of the decisive duel between Partizan and Real Madrid, with the Balkan fans in mourning, sad faces and eyes down on the Serbs, who honored the eight killed in the shooting at a Belgrade school. Flowers and candles at the entrance to the Stark, no music inside. Only beeps, Madrid was not saved from that. very persecuted Musa, Bosnian, Muslim and with a father who was a combatant in the Balkan war. No Hezonja, declared supporter of Partizan, who received a standing ovation. Strange atmosphere, a minute of silence as solemn as it was emotional and the ball finally took off.

Hanga became the owner of the start of the match, eleven points for the Hungarian, which allowed the Whites to take off with elegance. Good defence, accurate shooting and Mateo’s pupils cold as an iceberg in the face of the hostility from the stands, much more subdued than on Tuesday, yes, although just as perforating in the eardrum. Musa followed in the wake of his teammate, seven goals for the shooting guard, and Madrid, by surprise, showed one of their best versions of the season.

However, two almost consecutive triples by Papapetrou and the momentum of Lessort and Leday in the zones they lowered the visiting euphoria and ignited the local fans. Hell doesn’t disappear from Belgrade, it just takes a few possessions rest. The Serbs were pressing, regardless of their intention to remain predators in the series and not become prey. A burst of genius from Llull in the final seconds gave Madrid a slight lead at half-time.

And after a first part of condolences, the Partizan fans all the ills passed. The Stark trembled again, on the verge of collapsing before so much jumping and singing, from so much euphoria, from so much precious fanaticism. Leday, in full eruption, continued to unhing the Spanish defense, which little by little was giving ground to a cavalry charge of more than 20,000 partisan horsemen. But as always, Madrid withstood the downpour, did not allow the locals to distance themselves on the scoreboard and even after a three-pointer from Deck, managed to gain a valuable advantage.

Suffering of Real Madrid

Madrid deoxidized, he felt liberated again, good in defense and lethal in the open field, like the best hunters. Also Partizan fought fiercely, which not without suffering managed to keep away from the visitors. A duel in the spectacular abyss, with the whites alive and kicking in a tie that they had lost and with the blacks trying not to let a shield specialist in impossible missions escape alive.

Leday, the knight of the Serbs, flawless his match, but outnumbered by the tandem Tavares-Deck, who imposed their law under the local ring. The duel was very thick in its final stretch, both sides fearful of making a big mistake or not applying the intensity at the correct point. When Madrid already had the game almost in their pocket, two consecutive baskets from Partizan, one truly improbable, made the locals get back into the race for victory. But after a brutal fight for the rebound in attack, Tavares appeared, the usual, to add a two plus one of legend, certify the victory and leave Belgrade alive, which is not little. bring victory back to Madrid.