Crvena Zvezda beats Partizan in Adriatic League derby
In front of more than 7,000 red-and-white fans, Crvena Zvezda defeated Partizan (71-56) in the 1st big Belgrade derby of the season. The reigning champion once again presented a powerful defensive display. After all, they let Partizan score just 56 points. It was the first defeat of Partizan in the Adriatic League this season. Crvena Zvezda was ahead from start to finish and eventually scored a well-deserved win.
Now, the big Belgrade rivals are all tied on the top of the table as they both have an overall score of 6-1.
Key moments: Crvena Zvezda had a flying start in the 2nd half as they quickly increased their lead to 17 points – 40:23, however, Partizan responded immediately by making a 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 made two more points until the end of the 3rd quarter – 47:40, and then they opened the 4th period with a crucial 10-2 run to get back on a double-digit lead – 57:42. And, the red-and-whites kept that 15-point lead until the end of the game.
Man of the match: Crvena Zvezda big guy Luka Mitrović simply loves playing derby games against Partizan. 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 had 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 recorded 21 assists in this match, while Partizan only had 10.
