The new Euroleague basketball season has begun. It started - from "Morača", even though Buducnost Voli is playing in the Eurocup.
Due to well-known and strained political relations, it was decided that the Turkish teams would host the Israeli teams on neutral ground, and Efes preferred Podgorica.
The former European champion was better than Maccabi - 85:78, in an interesting match in front of 2.110 spectators in the "M:Tel Morača" stadium.
Maccabi led for a good part of the match, but the turning point came at the end of the third and in the final quarter.
Jordan Lloyd and Rolands Smiths led the "home team" with 16 points each, Shane Larkin added 14, and Erkan Osmani 12. For Maccabi, Oar and Sorkin each had 15 points.
The Belgrade "twins", Red Star and Partizan, suffered heavy defeats at the start of the Euroleague.
Partizan surrendered to a shooting-minded debutant - Dubai in the United Arab Emirates - practically without resistance (89:76), while Red Star fell at home to Milan's Armani - 82:92.
A tough task for the "eternals" already on the starting line to grab the playoffs, even though it has only just begun - and there are still a whopping 37 rounds left.
Bertrans (20) and Musa (19) filled the Partizan basket, and Dubai opened the match by shooting 7/7 three-pointers. Kabengele scored 15 points, Petrushev 14. Former Buducnost players also played - five points, four rebounds and seven assists from McKinley Wright, and two rebounds from Kenan Kamenjas in two minutes.
For Partizan, Tyreke Jones scored 12, Osetkovski 11, Parker 10 points.
Red Star was behind Armani from the beginning in Belgrade, but in the end the Italians had an easy triumph.
Leday scored 21, Shields 13, Nebo 12 and Guduric 10 for Ettore Messina's team, while for Red Star, newcomers Nvora with 19 and Carter with 16 points stood out.
Hapoel Tel Aviv, which is coming to Podgorica on Friday to play Efes, defeated Barcelona - 103:87, Panathinaikos was better than Bayern in Athens - 87:79, Olympiacos triumphed away against Baskonia - 102:96, while Duško Ivanovic and Virtus spoiled Sergio Scariol's Euroleague return to the Real Madrid bench - 74:68.
Bonus video:
