In the quarterfinal matchup of the ABA Super Cup, Partizan faced off against Mega. Interestingly, the “Black and Whites” are essentially defending the trophy. Partizan secured a hard-fought victory against the youngest team in the regional competition with a score of 89:78.
The “Black and Whites” won the last edition of the regional Super Cup, which was played in Zagreb in 2019. There was a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides Partizan, Cedevita Olimpija and Crvena zvezda had previously lifted the trophy.
The game started slightly in favor of Mega, giving them a four-point lead. There were many missed shots on both sides until midway through the opening period. Even after they started scoring, neither team managed to establish a significant lead.
After ten minutes of play, the scoreboard showed 25:25. It’s worth mentioning that the first quarter was marked by two impressive blocks, with Zach LeDay and Filip Jovic being the key contributors to these plays.
Filip Jović (@KKMegaBasket) and @ZachLeDay32 (@PartizanBC) with some stunning blocks in the 1st quarter.
— AdmiralBet ABA League (@ABA_League) September 18, 2023
Which one was better? 🤔#ABASuperCup pic.twitter.com/JBUWob6p4y
James Nunnally and P.J. Dozier emerged as the leaders for the black and white team during the second quarter. Partizan managed to establish their largest lead of the game at that point, going up by 16 points (49:33). Marko Barac’s squad played much better in the remaining part of the first half.
Nikola Djurisic stood out as the most motivated player for Mega and can be said to have put up a worthy resistance against the Partizan players. Mega closed the first half with a 10:2 run, narrowing the deficit to 51:43 before the game continued.
The third quarter witnessed a new surge from Mega on both ends of the court. Partizan maintained a lead ranging from seven to nine points halfway through the period. However, Andrija Jelavic eventually brought his team to a tie game at 67:67, setting the stage for a decisive final ten minutes.
The scoreboard swung back and forth at the start of the final period, and Kevin Punter hit an incredibly important three-pointer to energize the crowd and bring the score to 74:71. Frank Kaminsky extended the lead to five points. The Mega players didn’t give up, managing to keep the deficit within reach, until they ran out of offensive solutions, making defeat inevitable as the black and white team once again secured a double-digit lead.
James Nunnally was the highest scorer for the winning team, tallying up to 13 points. Frank Kaminsky stopped at 12, while P.J. Dozier contributed 11 points. Zach LeDay, Uros Trifunovic, and Kevin Punter each scored 10 points. In the Mega team, Andrija Jelavic scored 21 points, while Nikola Djurisic ended with 14.
This sets up a matchup between Igokea and Partizan in the semifinals. In the remaining part of the playoffs, Mega will face Cedevita Olimpija. Two more quarterfinals are scheduled for today, featuring matchups between Buducnost and Zadar, as well as FMP and Studentski Centar.
PARTIZAN – MEGA 89:78 (25:25, 26:18, 16:24, 22:11)
Arena: “Moraca”, Podgorica
Referees: Koljensic, Savovic, Lepetic
Partizan: Vukcević 4, LeDay 10, Avramović, Koprivica 2, Punter 10, Smailagic 7, Jaramaz 4, Nunnally 13, Trifunovic 10, Andjusic 6, Dozier 11, Kaminsky 12
Mega: Paunovic, Miljenovic 2, Jelavic 21, Kobzystyi 2, Milutinovic, Ilyasoglu 11, Djurisic 14, Kovacević 7, Plavsic 7, Jovic 6, Topic 6, Malovec