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We have the right to believe!
 What a great feeling to be together with you in March! What a nice opportunity to write to all of you again. Let me be honest: writing my previous blogs I tried to describe to you part of the atmosphere in Partizan and around the club. And I often likened it to a nice dream. Now, at the end of March, I feel like I am still dreaming, but I am afraid somebody could wake me up. A dream: that is the right word to describe my feelings to be a part of the Euroleague Playoffs again.
I was too happy when we reached Top 16 so I have no words to describe this kind of happiness. Before the Top 16 began, we were chatting in the locker room and somebody said it would be so nice to secure a playoff spot before the final game, against Lottomatica in Rome. In that case, we would go to the famous Fontana di Trevi in Rome and drop coins in the water for further luck. We all were laughing and few believed in it, but our wish was fulfilled. It was not easy, especially after our Top 16 started with a loss in Athens. After that there were two home games, which I believe they were key for us. We managed to beat Lottomatica and Unicaja and next came the Serbian Cup, which we also won.
In our best mood, we then traveled to Malaga ready to make giant step to the Euroleague quaterfinals. And we did it! Later we were met by something incredible. Our fans welcomed us to Belgrade airport, which was just a taste of the real celebration. By that I mean our historic game with Panathinaikos in Belgrade Arena with our fans, all 22,586 of them! They set a new European club record for attendance. In that outstanding atmosphere (like it is each time we play) we booked a big win to underline our classification in the best possible way.
After that we traveled to Rome for last Top 16 game and Lottomatica beat us. I see that loss as a additional motivation for all of us to take the next chance to show that was merely our bad night. There were few who believed we could make it to the Top 16. There were even fewer who believed we were able to reach the Playoffs. What is for sure now is this: our most enthusiastic fans believe that we can make one more miracle.
We all know very well who is CSKA. Over the last three seasons, they were Euroleague champs two times. This season, they finished their regular season and Top 16 groups in first place. For sure, homecourt advantage gives them additional safeness, making a strong favorite out of them. But we have the right to believe. I think everything we have done so far we did because we believed we could do it.
The series starts on March 24 in Moscow and all that I hope is that I shall be still your blogger when the series finishes. Dreaming is so nice . So let me give you the opportunity to join me in my dreams!
POSTED BY
Milenko Tepic, Belgrade
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