Zeljko Obradovic on Bursaspor: 'They have grown a lot throughout the season' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: K. Kavolėlis Credit K. Kavolėlis

Partizan Belgrade host Frutti Extra Bursa tonight, with a place in the EuroCup quarter-finals at stake.

Kevin Punter

MIN:26.72PTS:16.38 (59.13%)REB:2.81As:2.06ST:1BL:0.13TO:1.19GM:16ProfileEuroCup2021/2022

The Serbian powerhouse is by no means willing to give up on their home court advantage, something that Joventut Badalona didn't do against ratiopharm Ulm on Tuesday night.

Zeljko Obradovic's 28-9 record in the EuroLeague playoffs with Panathinaikos and Fenerbahce can provide some comfort, but it won't be enough to propel Partizan forward.

The 62-year-old coach is well aware of that.

"Basically the situation is like in the domestic cup. We're getting ready and we'll do our best. We need to play basketball, do what we did in the last time. I believe in my players," said Obradovic.

"The most important thing is to win the game," the nine-time EuroLeague winner added.

"We need to find the way to win. The game is a living thing, you always have to recognize situations and adjust. We have a lot of information about Bursa, we've been through a lot of games."

Obradovic praised Bursaspor and coach Dusan Alimpijevic for their season so far.

"Their team has grown throughout the season. My young colleague Alimpijevic is amazing, congratulations to him for everything. They caught a good rhythm, especially in the last two months. They lost to Efes by three points, but they played excellent. They're a team that know what to do on the court at any given moment," he concluded.

Kevin Punter has plenty of experience from both the BCL and the EuroLeague playoffs but now another challenge lies ahead.

"I'm aware that we'll have a full house, but I think the main thing for us is to focus on our basketball, and fans will certainly support us. I don't want to lie, I play much better when the crowd is behind us, but generally, we're a lot better team at home," the American shooting guard stressed.

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