SC Derby basketball players were defeated tonight in Belgrade by Partizan (95:80) in the 19th round of the AdmiralBet ABA League.
SC Derbi had an 11-point lead in the first quarter (22:11), but Partizan turned the tables by the end of the first half, and then controlled the game until the end.
"Partizan's deserved victory. We opened the game very well, we had good ball flow. When Partizan changed defense, at the moment when they increased the aggression on our playmaker Nil, that's when we ran into an attacking problem. We missed a serious number of transition saves, giving Partizan the opportunity to take control of the game," said SC Derbi coach Petar Mijović after the match.
SC Derby also had personnel problems.
"Considering the bad luck we had - Grbović got sick, Drobnjak got injured after coming on in the first quarter - we had some good moments in the second half. However, not enough to threaten the tired Partizan even more. I think Partizan respected us to the fullest - I can see that from the minutes played by key players compared to some other games with teams from the lower house. This is an exceptional school for our young team. I think we got what we were looking for from this game," said Mijović.
SC Derby is 6-13 after this match.
"SC Derbi changed the structure and selection of the team ahead of this season. I think we are significantly younger, with players who are the future of Montenegrin basketball. With a much smaller number of foreigners than in previous seasons. I think we are significantly weaker as a team than in previous seasons, and that within this team we have players with serious potential," said Mijović.
The SC Derby coach also spoke about goals.
"The competitive goal is to survive in the league, and as for other ambitions, I think that is the direction to affirm a certain number of players. I think that some have stood out with continuous good games and those are the two directions that are most important for us this season. We have lost a large number of games by one or two possessions. If we had been luckier, we would have had more victories. The ambition is to continue with serious work, because this group is working and training well. Through upgrading the training and the games that we have from Sunday to Sunday, I think we will fulfill that goal," concluded Mijović.
Partizan coach Željko Obradović believes that the seeded team turned this match around.
"We started the game badly, the first quarter was without rhythm. When the players who normally carry this team started coming on, everything looked different. In the second half, we played as much as we needed to and in the end we won. We played against a good team, led excellently from the bench. I wish SC Derbi all the best for the rest of the season," said Obradović.
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