Obradovic blasts fans' behavior in ABA league derbies: 'Someone needs to fix it' / News - Basketnews.com

Zeljko Obradovic wondered why no major incidents were recorded at the first-ever derby between Serbian teams in the EuroLeague and tried to explain how Partizan players reacted at certain points of the game.

Credit: Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade Credit Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade

Partizan Mozzart Bet entered the final stretch of their first-ever EuroLeague derby against Crvena Zvezda with a six-point advantage (71-65), but the guests relied on Luca Vildoza and Nemanja Nedovic to turn things around and rack up their fifth consecutive victory in the elite competition (76-73).

Player of the Game EFF 21 Luca Vildoza Points 14 Accuracy 6-11 Rebounds 4 Assists 6

"I looked at the last minute and a half after the match," Zeljko Obradovic noted in the postgame presser.

"We had four open shots. The question is, 'Why didn't we make them?' But that's basketball," the Serbian coach asked and replied.

"I will always stand with my players, the responsibility, as always, goes to me, and that's it. One ball decides whether you are up or down," Obradovic said after the game.

There is no time for recovery since next Sunday follows the game against Cedevita Olimpija in Ljubljana, which Obradovic thinks can benefit his team after a tough loss.

"What's the problem - you lost the game, so what? We are lucky to play at this pace, we have an important game ahead of us. We analyze in meetings that, at certain moments, we look like a team with no experience. And it's not a single player's problem, it's a problem for analysis, and I'll explain it to them," he stressed.

Zvezda scored three 3-point shots in crunch time, two from Vildoza and the decisive one from Nedovic. On the other hand, Partizan misfired five times from the perimeter.

"That's six points," Obradovic said.

"I called a time-out, and I specifically asked them not to allow them to take three-point shots. What is there to do? We're going to analyze who did the wrong rotation, it's not just one player's problem.

When you look at the start of the game, when you see the energy in the players, and when you look at the end of the game - everything is clear. There is no philosophy. We had the ball 17 seconds before the end and everything in our hands."

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade / Schedule

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade73-76 LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne Partizan Mozzart Bet BelgradeTue19:00

Obradovic takes responsibility for all decisions in the game, including the changes he made at crucial moments. In particular, the media was interested in why James Nunnally had a short time on the floor.

"I do my best for the team. There are statistics on what Nunnally did while he was on the floor. He played seven minutes, and we were at -14 while he was in.

James is someone I've worked with, a wonderful guy, but he was slow tonight. I am not attacking him or anyone," he clarified.

"We play, we have a desire, and then we do stupid things for no reason. I've been a coach for 32 years. Whenever you talk to a player, he trusts you. When you show him the video and say, 'Is this you?' then he understands everything. And I don't need a video, I know everything, and I have in my head how it all happened," Obradovic continued.

"We stopped playing when we had the biggest difference in the first quarter. And then the player with the ball starts dribbling for no reason. From that point on, Zvezda returned to the game and made a partial score of 29-13 in the second quarter. It seems outrageous, but we let it happen. These problems exist, and it's not the first time," the Serbian tactician pointed out.

Last week, Partizan played Zvezda in the ABA League. The game was suspended for more than half an hour, as fans were throwing objects on the court, and it took more than 2 hours to complete. BasketNews' Mindaugas Bertys asked Obradovic why the EuroLeague derby was so disciplined and no major incidents occurred.

"Thank you very much for this question,' the Partizan coach replied.

"I'm very proud and I said before the game that we wanted this kind of atmosphere. I believe it was excellent. People around Europe saw that nothing happened. No coins, no water, no paper.

This is true and the question is for everybody. Why did this happen in the EuroLeague and not in the ABA League?" he asked.

"Someone needs to react. Tonight, it was an excellent atmosphere. So, the question is why this always happens in the ABA League. I hope they will try to fix it," he went on to say.

"From my side, I've always tried to talk positively since the day Partizan presented me as their coach. I always use the same words. I'm very respectful to everybody, and I will continue to be like that. From my side, that's it. I can't do anything more," he said.

The nine-time EuroLeague-winning tactician also referred to Aleksa Avramovic's rehabilitation. The Serbian forward has started practicing without contact, but he hasn't been able to join the team's practices.

"He feels good, he is a hard worker, and his desire is exceptional. But it's all different when you get into a five-on-five situation when adrenaline is different. We will go gradually, I do not want to put any kind of pressure on him," concluded Obradovic.

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