Zeljko Obradovic has expressed his expectations ahead of the sixth round of the ABA League, in which Partizan will face Split as the away team.
The accomplished coach wants his team to avoid a situation like last season when the game’s outcome at the Gripe Arena was decided in the final play.
“Before us, there is one training session and a meeting in which we will do everything to prepare for the game against Split in the best possible way. We arrived in Split early this morning from Spain, and we immediately focused on rest and preparations for the match against a team we respect, remembering last season’s game, which we won in an incredible finish. Maximum concentration throughout the entire match and high-energy performance will bring us the desired result,” said Zeljko Obradovic.
The coach’s words were followed by Alen Smailagic, who mentioned last season’s match against Split as a “turning point.”
“We are aware of how tricky Split can be on their home court. Last season practically turned in our favor in that round when Nunnally hit a three-pointer in the last second to secure the victory against them. They have quality, and they know they will be fresher than us, but it’s up to us to compensate for that freshness by playing with more motivation. After the loss to Mega, every ABA League game essentially determines our fate, and that’s how we need to approach these matches.“
Split and Partizan will face off on Sunday, starting at 5:00 PM.