May 20, 2013
Regular Season Game 8 - December 17, 2008 CET: 21:00 Local time: 21:00 - MEDIOLANUM FORUM
AJ Milano 73 - 59 Partizan

Records

Ave.   Ave.
0-0 Final Four 0-0
0-0 Playoffs 0-0
0-0 Top 16 0-0
2-5 Regular Season 3-4
2-5 Overall 3-4

Referees

Crew Chief
PUKL,SASA, Slovenia
Referee
GKONTAS, SPIROS, Greece
Umpire
BULTO, VICENTE, Spain

Team Stats

Ave.   Ave.
72.0 Points 71.6
24.4 Rebounds 35.6
8.3 O. Rebounds 14.3
16.1 D. Rebounds 21.3
11.0 Assists 13.3
8.0 Steals 5.4
1.0 Blocks 4.4
13.1 Turnovers 14.6
52.4 % 2PT 51.2 %
37.7 % 3PT 34.1 %
85.9 % FT 70.5 %
61.9 Index 71.6
Team Stats - AJ Milano
Team Stats - Partizan

Player Stats

Ave.   Ave.
14.1 / Hawkins Points 12.0 / Tepic
4.8 / ROCCA, MASON Rebounds 7.6 / Lasme
2.7 / ROCCA, MASON OR 3.4 / Lasme
2.4 / HALL, MICHAEL DR 4.1 / Lasme
2.4 / Hawkins Assists 4.3 / Tepic
2.0 / Hawkins Steals 1.6 / Lasme
0.4 / Katelynas Blocks 2.0 / Lasme
1.9 / SANGARE, YOHANN Turnovers 2.6 / VELICKOVIC, NOVICA
72.7 % / BEARD, JOEY 2PT 64.7 % / Vitkovac
54.5 % / MORDENTE, MARCO 3PT 66.7 % / S. Milosevic
100.0 % / HALL, MICHAEL FT 100.0 % / S. Milosevic
16.4 / Hawkins Index 15.7 / Lasme
Team Roster - AJ Milano
Team Roster - Partizan

THE TAKE

Armani Jeans Milano will try to boost its Top 16 hopes when it hosts Partizan Belgrade in a Group D matchup. These two classic Euroleague sides are among several jockeying for position in the group where four teams are separated by one win. Armani Jeans is last in the group with a 2-5 record after its loss last week at Efes Pilsen, but has its next two games at home and has won its last two in Milano. Partizan is locked in a three-way tie for third place at 3-4 after a heart-breaking loss at Real Madrid last week. The Serbian champs held off Milano 81-76 when they met earlier this season in Belgrade as Stephane Lasme dominated the paint and helped Partizan outrebound Milano 35-17 – including 19-3 on the offensive glass. That could be a major factor this time as well since Partizan leads the league in offensive rebounding and is third in overall rebounding, while Milano is last in rebounding and second-last on the offensive glass. There is hope for head coach Piero Bucchi’s men since Pape Sow, who missed the bulk of the first games through injury, adds power to the frontcourt now alongside Mason Rocca. Furthermore, Milano sometimes accepts its rebounding disadvantage, but makes up for it with a smaller and quicker lineup featuring the athletic Mike Hall at power forward. That trio, plus energetic reserve Mindaugas Katelynas, will square off with Lasme, Novica Velickovic, Slavko Vranes and Jan Vesely inside. In the backcourt, head coach Dusko Vujosevic has seen one of his trusted reserves leading the team lately as Uros Tripkovic shot 6 for 8 from downtown last week at Madrid and 8 for 9 on Sunday in the Adriatic League. His firepower blends well with guards Milenko Tepic and Alaksandar Rasic. Milano has a deeper backcourt with David Hawkins, Yohann Sangare, Massimo Bulleri, Jobey Thomas and Marco Mordente. Milano often features a three-guard lineup, so it will be interesting to see how the size differences effect the matchups as Tepic and small forward Cedomis Vitkovac are both more than 2 meters tall, while Hawkins and Thomas are only 1.93 and 1.94 meters, respectively. This game could turn quickly on the long shots, since both teams feature guards that can change things when they heat up. And both teams also have experienced players that can handle the pressure. And there will be plenty of that as these talented squads play a crucial encounter that could determine which one is still playing in February.

GAME QUOTES

Armani Jeans Milano
  • Guard David Hawkins has posted impressive individual numbers in five career performances against Partizan. He has scored in double figures in all five games and averaged 12.8 points and 3.8 steals. He has recorded a career-high 6 steals twice and has his only career multi-blocked shot game (2) against the club.
  • Guard Massimo Bulleri is coming off his finest individual effort of the season after scoring 14 points and dishing 5 assists last week at Efes Pilsen. He had combined for 17 points and 4 assists in his four previous games.
  • Head coach Piero Bucchi has used the same starting five – Yohann Sangare, David Hawkins, Jobey Thomas, Mike Hall and Mason Rocca – for the last four games. Aside from Rocca, the other four have started every game this season.
Partizan
  • Guard Milenko Tepic has made at least one three-pointer in 12 consecutive Euroleague games. The streak dates back to the Top 16 last season. He has made 24 triples in 53 attempts (45.3%) during the streak.
  • Center Slavko Vranes needs one more blocked shot to reach 50 for his Euroleague career.
  • The magic number for Partizan has been 80 points. The Serbian champs have won nine of the last 10 games in which they have scored at least 80.
  • Sharpshoter Uros Tripkovic recorded the lone blocked shot of his Euroleague career at Real Madrid in January 2006. He blocked the shot of center Venson Hamilton.
  • Tripkovic is red-hot from downtown lately. He shot 6 for 8 from behind the arc last week at Madrid and 8 for 9 on Sunday in the Adriatic League.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Euroleague.net

Quotes Head Coaches

BUCCHI, PIERO
AJ Milano
"Before the game at Efes Pilsen I said that we are playing a final every week to reach the Top 16. The next three games will be even more important after our defeat in Istanbul. We know that Partizan is a young and talented team and they are doing a pretty good job in Euroleague, but we were very close to win in the first leg game in Belgrade, leading by more than 20 points in the first half before losing in the final minutes because of any details of the game. We have to be more focused if we want to win: we won 5 of the last 6 games in the Italian League and 2 of the last 3 in the Euroleague, and we have to continue this way, playing with concentration for 40 minutes."
VUJOSEVIC, DUSKO
Partizan
"AJ Milano is a serious team, much better than it has shown so far. They had a lot of injury problems before our first leg game in Belgrade but now they are complete and highly motivated to stay in competition for the Top 16. Players that were missing in Belgrade are their best and we shall face one new AJ Milano in Italy. I expect from my players to show character and be concentrated all the way. With good defense we could book an important road win."

Players

HALL, MIKE
AJ Milano
"I wish we had won the first game in Belgrade. We just didn't all of our players and we have to learn from our mistakes, but now we're ready to play this game, the fans will be behind us. After CSKA, you have to win every game, There's no excuses, we have to win against Partizan and we should have the mindset and we're gonna win."
TRIPKOVIC, UROS
Partizan
"We know the way and we are going to Italy to win. That is going to be our hardest road game for sure. We played with AJ Milano in Belgrade and we are aware what kind of task it will be. If we manage to win I am sure we shall see the Top 16. After we lost in Madrid our self-confidance was questionable, but we overcame problems in our heads beating Cibona in the last Adriatic League game. That win means a lot to us before the trip to Milan."
Jobey Thomas - AJ MilanoArmani Jeans Milano remained alive in the race for the Top 16 with a wire-to-wire 73-59 home victory over Partizan Belgrade in Group D on Wednesday. Milano entered the game in last place but pulled even with Partizan in the group with a 3-5 record. Both teams will share in a three-way fourth-place tie after Efes Pilsen and Panionios On Telecoms, both 3-4, break their own on Thursday. Milano started the game strong and finished it in fine fashion. A 12-3 lead gave the Italian hosts early control, although Partizan got back in the game with a 4-14 run spanning the first two quarters. After the hosts held Partizan to just 6 points in the third quarter, however, the guests never rallied again as Milano's lead hit a high of 19 points midway through the fourth. Luca Vitali scored 14 points for the winners, as did Joby Thomas, 12 of his coming in the first quarter. David Hawkins added 12 points and Mindaugas Katelynas chipped in 10 points and 9 rebounds. Milano made 32 of 43 free throws compared to 16 of 26 for Belgrade while the hosts out-rebounded Partizan 42-29. Milenko Tepic was the only Partizan player to score in double figures with 19 points while NovicaVelickovic and Zarko Rakocevic each had 9.

Milenko Tepic - PartizanHawkins opened the scoring with a layup for hosts. Thomas hit a jumper and Yohann Sangare's three-pointer made it 7-0. Aleksandar Rasic answered right back with a three pointer to make it 7-3. But Partizan had problems shooting early on. Hawkins hit a jumper off the glass, and after Jan Vesely missed his third and fourth foul shots of the first quarter for Partizan, Hawkins made two free throws to push the lead to 12-3. Belgrade made just one of its first 10 shots, including 1 of 6 from long range. Tepic finally ended the guests' struggles with a jumper from just inside the arc to make it 12-5. Thomas pushed the lead to double digits for the first time with a three-pointer from the right wing which Tepic followed with a fine left hand hook in the lane. But Thomas knocked down another three-ball - this time from the left wing - for an 18-7 advantage. Uros Tripkovic drained a triple before a baseline jumper from Hawkins and a mid-range jumper by Thomas made it 22-10. And Thomes hit two free throws for Milano's biggest lead of the game thus far at 24-11. Tepic delivered a nice pass into the lane for Slavko Vranes only to see Vitali make two foul shots to re-establish the 13-point lead. Tepic, however, made it 26-16 with a three-ball just before the end of the first quarter.

Vranes hit from close range to start the second quarter at 26-18. A technical foul was called on Partizan coach Dusko Vujosevic and Vitali made two free throws. Pape Sow turned the ball over on the ensuing possession with an offensive foul and then was called for goal-tending on Strahinja Milosevic's basket to make it 28-20. Partizan was really working hard defensively to slow down the Milano offense. Thomas hit two foul shots for a 30-20 lead. But Tepic made an inside lay-in on fine pass from Velickovic and completed the three-point play. Vranes blocked a Sow shot and Vesely finished with a layup and Velickovic's two free throws trimmed the deficit to 30-27 and finished the 4-14 run spanning the first two quarters. But Massimo Bulleri's mid-range jumper just before the 5 minute mark was Milano's first basket of the second period to make it 32-27. Rakocevic and Mason Rocca swapped layups before Velickovic made two fouls shots to cut the deficit to 34-31. Katelynas tipped in an offensive rebound and hit the foul shot to complete the three-point play for a 37-31 advantage. After Stephane Lasme hit a layup on the break for Partizan, Sow missed a thunder dunk but the hosts grabbed the long offensive rebound and Marco Mordente nailed a long three-pointer to make it 40-33. Hawkins and Velickovic each made a free throw to cap Milano's 7-3 run with a halftime score of 41-34.

Luca Vitali - AJ MilanoHawkins opened the second half with a three-pointer that re-established a 10-point lead at 44-34. Partizan again struggled to execute offensively and Michael Hall's jumper made it 46-34. Tripkovic finally scored Belgrade's first basket of the second half at the 6:29 mark to cut the game to 46-36. Vranes missed two free throws and Rocca pushed the lead back to 13 points with three foul shots on six attempts for a 49-36 cushion. Velickovic made a hook shot and Lasme hit a tough basket in the lane but could not convert three-point play to trim the margin to 49-40. After 2 Vitali foul shots, Milosevic missed a pair of inside attempts after a fine pass into the lane and then Mordente hit free throws. Katelynas continued his fine game with a tip-in off a Sow miss and Mordente's two free throws with no time left on the clock finished an 8-0 run for a 57-40 advantage after three quarters - the biggest lead of the game to that point.

Both teams struggled in the early going of the fourth quarter and the first basket came at the 7:25 mark on Tripkovic's layup after a drive along the left baseline to make it 57-42. But Vitali answered right back with a jumper for the hosts. Tepic hit two foul shots but Sow dunked home after a fine interior pass from Katelynas to make it 61-44 and two Katelynas foul shots pushed the lead to the largest of the game at 19 points for 63-44. Partizan refused to give up and Rakocevic made two foul shots and a layup and Tepic converted two layups to cut the deficit to 65-52 with less than 3 minutes left. Belgrade grabbed three offensive rebounds on its next possession but could not convert and Mordente and Vitali combined for three free throws. Rakocevic converted a three-point play after a reverse layup to make it 69-57 but Katelynas entered double figures with a high flying layup and Vitali finished the scoring with two free throws.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Euroleague.net
Referees: PUKL,SASA (SLO), GKONTAS, SPIROS (GRE), BULTO, VICENTE (ESP)
Attendance: 2830
By Quarter1234
AJ Milano26151616
Partizan1618619
End of Quarter1234
AJ Milano26415773
Partizan16344059
Head coach: BUCCHI, PIERO
AJ Milano
# Player Min Pts 2FG
M-A
 3FG
M-A
 FT
M-A
 Rebounds As St To Bl Fouls PIR
O D T Fv Ag Cm Rv
5 BULLERI, MASSIMO 15:00 2 1/4 0/1           1 1   1 2 3 -2
6 FILLOY, ARIEL DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
7 HALL, MIKE 22:11 2 1/4 0/2   2 4 6   1 1     4   -1
8 SOW, PAPE 16:34 2 1/7 0/1   2 2 4   2 2 1 1 2 1 -2
9 MORDENTE, MARCO 20:23 8   1/2 5/6 1 3 4   2 2     3 6 13
10 VITALI, LUCA 21:28 14 1/1 0/2 12/12 1 1 2 2   2     4 6 16
11 THOMAS, JOBEY 20:40 14 2/4 2/5 4/4   2 2   1 2     3 6 13
12 ROCCA, MASON 19:43 6 1/4   4/10 3 6 9     2     3 8 9
15 KATELYNAS, MINDAUGAS 21:32 10 3/4   4/5 5 4 9 1         3 4 19
16 MICEVIC, MARKO DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
20 SANGARE, YOHANN 12:26 3   1/2         2 1       3   2
34 HAWKINS, DAVID 30:03 12 3/4 1/5 3/6   4 4 2   1     3 2 8
Team           1 1 2   2           4
Totals 200:00 73 13/32 5/20 32/43 15 27 42 7 10 13 1 2 30 36 79
40.6% 25% 74.4%
Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating
Head coach: VUJOSEVIC, DUSKO
Partizan
# Player Min Pts 2FG
M-A
 3FG
M-A
 FT
M-A
 Rebounds As St To Bl Fouls PIR
O D T Fv Ag Cm Rv
5 TEPIC, MILENKO 30:19 19 5/6 1/5 6/7   1 1 1 1 3     1 8 20
8 MILOSEVIC, STRAHINJA 12:30 2 1/3     1 1 2     2     3   -3
10 RASIC, ALEKSANDAR 13:43 3   1/2     2 2     2     4 2  
11 TRIPKOVIC, UROS 26:22 7 2/6 1/4           1 2     5 2 -4
12 VELICKOVIC, NOVICA 24:24 7 1/8 0/4 5/6 2 4 6 2   1   1 4 5 2
13 LASME, STEPHANE 20:51 6 2/3 0/1 2/3   7 7     2     5 4 7
14 ALEKSIC, VUKASIN DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
15 VITKOVAC, CEDOMIR 8:27   0/1             1       2   -2
20 BOZIC, PETAR 10:12                   1     1   -2
22 RAKOCEVIC, ZARKO 18:09 9 3/4   3/4 1 1 2   2       4 5 12
24 VESELY, JAN 19:28 2 1/1   0/4 1   1           5 2 -4
33 VRANES, SLAVKO 15:35 4 2/2   0/2 1 3 4     1 2   3 2 6
Team             4 4   2 1     1   4
Totals 200:00 59 17/34 3/16 16/26 6 23 29 3 7 15 2 1 38 30 36
50% 18.8% 61.5%
This game is not yet played

Head Coaches

BUCCHI, PIERO
AJ Milano
"We played an entertaining first quarter but we won the game in the third, when we allowed them just six points. I saw the right spirit from our guys, and it's a very important victory for us. It was a game with a slow rhythm because it was very tough to play, and their zone defense gave us many problems. In this game, like in the last weeks, we still showed our improvement."
VUJOSEVIC, DUSKO
Partizan
"Rebounds and intensity makes the difference tonight... Milano deserved the victory, but it was very hard for us to play defense, even if we should have (and could have) made better work on the offensive end, for sure."

Players

VITALI, LUCA
AJ Milano
"We weren't able to take a big difference in the first half, but when we were up 12, 14 points in the third quarter, we played easily, playing good defense. We slowed the tempo of the game to control it, we are satisfied with the result. Now we wait for Real Madrid next week thinking about a little revenge from the first game against them, when we gave them the match in the last seconds."
LASME, STEPHANE
Partizan
"We had a couple of mistakes that we know we made tonight. Everybody that attended the game saw it, but I never thought that it would cause that deficit. We are still confident about the qualification to the next round after this game. The feeling of the team is still the same. Next week we will face Panionios at home, and hopefully things will be better for us."
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