Spartak are the new champions of Serbia after defeating FMP 76–73 after overtime in the final of the Serbian Basketball League.
The big final started brilliantly. The objectively best players of both teams, Filip Barna and Olivier Hanlan, immediately engaged in a scoring duel. The first round went to the Canadian, who scored 10 points without missing a shot from the field and was the main reason his team led after the opening quarter (24:19).
Spartak looked even better in the continuation. The defense was fully tightened, and on the other end they used Shevon Thompson’s height advantage. FMP finished every possession at the buzzer, and after a Javonteae Hawkins three-pointer, Spartak reached its first double-digit lead.
Shortly after, things nearly escalated into a fight in Cair Arena. After a slightly harder contact, Dalibor Ilic and Dusan Radosavljevic got in each other’s faces. That seemed to wake up the “Panthers.” Sasa Nikitovic switched to a zone defense and reactivated Barna, and Spartak briefly went cold.
When it looked like FMP might go into halftime happier due to their comeback, Hanlan drew three free throws, and Vladimir Jovanovic’s team went into the break leading 41:34.
The second half was played in a tougher rhythm. Barna, with new points, signaled his team’s comeback, but it never fully materialized. Spartak moved the ball excellently in offense. Hanlan hit a buzzer-beating three, and Igor Drobnjak added one off the dribble, sending Spartak back to a double-digit cushion.
Spartak fans, who had free transportation to Cair organized by the club, were getting louder, and the players responded with highlight plays, Hawkins shook the rim with a dunk, and Dalibor Ilic blocked an opponent’s shot at the rim. Everything was working, and Spartak led 63:50 going into the final period.
Joshua Smith tried to spark a response and briefly changed the momentum. However, FMP could not get close enough to seriously threaten their opponent. Hanlan was again fouled on a long-range shot and restored a safe lead from the free-throw line.
FMP increasingly rushed their offense, while on the other end Spartak returned to zone defense, which proved effective. Spartak started missing under pressure, and Barna cut the deficit to just four with a layup two minutes before the end.
Jovanovic called a timeout, but out of it, after two rebounds and three attempts, Spartak failed to score. Scott then hit a mid-range shot to cut it to just two, and Drobnjak missed a three-pointer, giving FMP a possession for overtime or the title. Scott drove, drew a defender, and found Marko Radovanovic alone for an easy layup to tie the game at 68:68 with 12 seconds left.
Hanlan took the ball, attacked off the dribble, but had it stripped, and FMP’s team got a timeout and 1.8 seconds to win the title. Nikitovic drew up a great play, but Nikola Gasic couldn’t catch the high pass near the rim, and the game went to overtime. Spartak went six minutes without a field goal in this stretch and allowed a 13:0 run.
Complete parity continued into the extra five minutes. Neither Spartak nor FMP found fluid offensive solutions. Nikitovic’s team could hardly score from the field, but on the other side only Drobnjak and Hanlan managed to get points, so Spartak led 73:72 entering the final minute. Once again, Spartak had a disorganized possession, opening the floor for Barna, who was fouled. His hand trembled and he made only one free throw to tie it again.
Finally, Jovanovic found a different solution. Danilo Nikolic attacked and scored under the basket, while Barna missed a three on the other end, leaving Spartak on the verge of the title. Hanlan was quickly fouled, but he also split his free throws, giving FMP eight seconds to tie. Radosavljevic was left open for a three after the timeout, but he missed, and Spartak became the champion of Serbia.
🏀 Završeno je finale F4 turnira Košarkaške lige Srbije u Nišu, pobedom našeg tima rezultatom:
— Spartak Office Shoes (@kkspartak) May 31, 2026
FMP – SPARTAK OFFICE SHOES 73:76!
SPARTAK JE ŠAMPION! IDEMOOOOO!!! 👏🏼🔥🏀 pic.twitter.com/FWgDDZDvJX
