Regular Season Game 5 - November 21, 2007 CET: 19:00 Local time: 19:00 - PIONIR

Records

Ave.   Ave.
0-0 Final Four 0-0
0-0 Playoffs 0-0
0-0 Top 16 0-0
2-2 Regular Season 1-3
2-2 Overall 1-3

Referees

Crew Chief
ORTIZ DE ZÁRATE, JOSÉ MANUEL, Spain
Referee
CHRISTODOULOU, CHRISTOS, Greece
Umpire
VIATOR, EDDIE, France

Team Stats

Ave.   Ave.
80.8 Points 78.3
33.5 Rebounds 29.5
11.5 O. Rebounds 8.5
22.0 D. Rebounds 21.0
12.0 Assists 15.5
6.3 Steals 8.5
2.3 Blocks 3.0
16.3 Turnovers 14.3
61.0 % 2PT 50.6 %
23.3 % 3PT 39.6 %
83.1 % FT 72.6 %
74.8 Index 75.5

Player Stats

Ave.   Ave.
21.5 / PEKOVIC, NIKOLA Points 17.3 / Lorbek
7.3 / PEKOVIC, NIKOLA Rebounds 6.3 / Lorbek
4.3 / PEKOVIC, NIKOLA OR 1.8 / FUCKA, GREGOR
5.8 / VELICKOVIC, NOVICA DR 4.5 / Lorbek
3.5 / PALACIO, MILT Assists 5.3 / Ukic
1.3 / PALACIO, MILT Steals 1.5 / Hawkins
0.8 / VRANES, SLAVKO Blocks 1.8 / Lorbek
3.5 / PALACIO, MILT Turnovers 2.5 / Ukic
73.3 % / PEKOVIC, NIKOLA 2PT 65.0 % / Lorbek
37.5 % / KECMAN, DUSAN 3PT 66.7 % / Lorbek
100.0 % / VELICKOVIC, NOVICA FT 100.0 % / Ukic
26.3 / PEKOVIC, NIKOLA Index 20.5 / Lorbek

THE TAKE

Two teams with different momentums, Partizan Igokea and Lottomatica Roma, square off in a big Group C showdown in Belgrade, Serbia, on Wednesday night. Partizan has registered back-to-back defeats and hopes to break its negative streak, while Lottomatica comes off its first win in the competition and is ready for the big challenge in Belgrade. Above all, Lottomatica's main concern will be slowing Nikola Pekovic, who has averaged 28.5 points on 21-for-24 two-point shooting in two Euroleague games at Pionir Arena this season. Pekovic, however, was limited to just 6 points last week, as Real Madrid managed to double-team him on each and every occasion, so Lottomatica knows it needs physical defense against him. Pekovic leads a strong Partizan frontcourt that also features Dejan Borovnjak, Novica Velickovic and 2.29-meter center Slavko Vranes. Lottomatica, still without Erik Daniels, Christian Drejer and Simone Bagnoli, counts on Roberto Gabini to play physical defense against Pekovic, while using talented big men Gregor Fucka and Erazem Lorbek at the other end, as both can use their versatility and shooting range against the entire Partizan frontcourt. The point guard battle will be crucial, as Partizan counts on Milt Palacio to carry on playing well against Roma's young star Roko-Leni Ukic, who is having a career season so far. Jacopo Giachetti will be ready to step off the bench to help Ukic, while Partizan counts on Petar Bozic. Partizan is really solid at both wings, with streak shooter Uros Tripkovic, do-it-all swingman Milenko Tepic, versatile forward Cedomir Vitkovac and defensive ace Dusan Kecman. Tripkovic will be testing his shooting skills against Jon Stefansson, while Vitkovac, Kecman and Tepic will have the tough mission to slow David Hawkins and Allan Ray. Partizan will try to speed up the game tempo while trying to get Pekovic involved. Meanwhile, Roma will stay loyal to its offense, in which any player can be dangerous and score from outside. Expect a battle of basketball styles, as both teams try to reach higher in Group C.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Euroleague.net - Cindy Garcia, Rome

Quotes Head Coaches

REPESA, JASMIN
Lottomatica Roma
"Sunday we won an Italian League game in Milan, but we played well just the last ten minutes. It's not enough: if in Belgrade we do the same, we can expect to lose. Continuity and concentration are the key elements in the match against Partizan. Otherwise we have no chance to win. The Serbians are a good team: they have young, athletically endowed and technically talented players. It's a very interesting team. Up to now, they have played well in the Euroleague and, furthermore, they will be at home. It's always difficult to play at Pionir Arena because the local supporters are very rowdy and they are able to give energy to their team. It will be really hard. I am sure, however, that even if important players such as Daniels and Drejer are not available, and Bagnoli probably not at our disposal, we have the chance to win but only on one condition: to play well for 40 long and intense minutes."

Players

UKIC, ROKO
Lottomatica Roma
"I have played three times in Belgrade and I know what to expect. The Pionir will be full of fans and it will be a hot atmosphere. But I am not worried. With time, I have learned to get used to this. We must just focus on playing and forget about what surrounds us. I am confident: I believe we can do it."
Nikola Pekovic - Partizan Igokea Partizan Igokea and center Nikola Pekovic continued their amazing start to the season with a 91-86 win over Lottomatica Roma on Wednesday night at Pionir Arena in Belgrade, Serbia. Pekovic, who never scored 20 points in a game before this season, topped the mark for the fourth time in five games with 21 points and 8 rebounds as the Serbian champs held off a stiff Roma challenge to improve to 3-2. Partizan now sits in third place in Group C and will visit Brose Baskets Bamberg next week. Roma fell to 1-4 and will host AXA Barcelona next week. Partizan never trailed in the second half, but Roma hung around till the very end. Novica Velickovic and Milenko Tepic stepped up late and Partizan benefited from Gregor Fucka's awful free-throw shooting to seal the win. Velickovic posted 16 points and 10 rebounds, Milt Palacio had 15 points and 6 assists and Dusan Kecman scored 14 for Partizan. Jon Stefansson led Roma with 17 points, David Hawkins added 16, Roko-Leni Ukic 15 and Allan Ray and Erazem Lorbek scored 14 apiece.

The Partizan fans welcomed Lottomatica general manager Dejan Bodiroga before the game started and then Ukic got things going for Roma before Pekovic struck back for Partizan with a three-point play. Stefansson fired first bomb and Ukic secured an early lead with points from the line. Partizan had lot of problems guarding Roma's perimeter players and Petar Bozic soon replaced Palacio and went on to give his team an 11-9 lead midway through the period. On the other side Ukic and Hawkins scored for Lottomaticaonly to see Uros Tripkovic tie the score with Partizan's first triple. Pekovic nailed 6 points before he was replaced with Slavko Vranes, who had the task of controlling the paint. The result was 5 straight points from Velickovic and two successful defenses at the Partizan side. Ray hit a three-pointer in the closing seconds of the first period, which ended 25-26 for Lotomattica thanks to 8 points from Ukic.

David Hawkins - Lottomatica RomaPekovic and Fucka traded baskets early in the second period, but the Partizan big man added one more. Palacio joined him with basket in transition, forcing Roma head coach Jasmin Repesa to call timeout. After a minute's break, Hawkins scored from a third-chance attack. Palacio gave Partizan a 34-30 lead with a three-point play, which Ray cut scoring from the penalty line. The hosts converted 3 Roma turnovers into 7 points to take a 9-point lead. Lorbek managed to score 4 straight points for Lottomatica and it was Partizan who called timeout to keep the momentum. Lorbek continued to score and after Roberto Gabini nailed a jumper, Roma led 50-51. Bozic scored from behind the arc in last minute of the first half and the players went to locker room for a break with the hosts ahead 54-51.

Hawkins tied the score at the very beginning of third period. Partizan tightened its defense and used an 8-0 run led by Tepic and Pekovic to get back ahead. Then Stefansson woke up with 3 points, cutting the gap to 62-59 midway through the quarter. Lorbek payed the price for double-teaming Pekovic and fell into foul trouble with his fourth personal. It became a big problem for Lottomatica, which came to Belgrade with only 10 players. Tripkovic punished guests with a bomb and soon Partizan was 8 points ahead. But Pekovic was replaced by Vranes, who made several mistakes allowing Stefansson to score 4 straight points from the line and Partizan's lead was cut to 72-70 at the end of third period.

Velickovic opened the final period with a bomb. Palacio added a slam as Lottomatica was left scoreless for more than two minutes. Finally Ray netted 2 from the line. He promptly added a jumper showing that the guests were still alive. But Palacio did not think so. After his three-point play, Alessandro Tonolli fouled out and Partizan amassed a promising 84-77 lead in the middle of the fourth. But Palacio committed an unsportsmanlike foul that allowed Lotomattica to cut the gap as Hawkins scored 4 points from the line. The guests tried switching to zone, however Tepic scored and Partizan led 86-81 with three minutes left. Fucka missed 4 straight penalties before Velickovic galvanized the atmosphere by scoring from the line and sealing Partizan's third victory in this Euroleague Basketball season.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Aca Ostojic, Belgrade
Referees: ORTIZ DE ZÁRATE, JOSÉ MANUEL (ESP), CHRISTODOULOU, CHRISTOS (GRE), VIATOR, EDDIE (FRA)
Attendance: 5245
By Quarter1234
Partizan Igokea25291819
Lottomatica Roma26251916
End of Quarter1234
Partizan Igokea25547291
Lottomatica Roma26517086
Head coach: VUJOSEVIC, DUSKO
Partizan Igokea
# 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
4 PALACIO, MILT 30:52 15 6/9 0/2 3/4   3 3 6 2 2   1 3 3 17
5 TEPIC, MILENKO 26:06 7 2/4 1/5     3 3 1 1       4 1 3
7 KECMAN, DUSAN 25:30 14 1/2 3/5 3/4 2 1 3 3   2     4 2 12
10 BOROVNJAK, DEJAN 1:20                         1   -1
11 TRIPKOVIC, UROS 20:38 8 1/2 2/5     1 1 1   1     3   2
12 VELICKOVIC, NOVICA 34:02 16 4/7 1/2 5/6 3 7 10     4     2 5 20
14 PEKOVIC, NIKOLA 27:49 21 7/11   7/10 6 2 8         1 4 13 30
15 VITKOVAC, CEDOMIR 15:13 3 1/3 0/2 1/2 1 2 3 1 1 1     1 1 2
17 DJURKOVIC, MARKO DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
20 BOZIC, PETAR 6:51 5   1/1 2/2   1 1 1         3 1 5
21 MILOSEVIC, STRAHINJA 0:48                         1   -1
33 VRANES, SLAVKO 10:51 2     2/4 1 1 2 1   1 1   4 2 1
Team                                
Totals 200:00 91 22/38 8/22 23/32 13 21 34 14 4 11 1 2 30 28 90
57.9% 36.4% 71.9%
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: REPESA, JASMIN
Lottomatica Roma
# 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 GIACHETTI, JACOPO 4:44   0/1             1            
7 FUCKA, GREGOR 14:30 3 1/2   1/6           1 1   4 4 -3
8 TONOLLI, ALESSANDRO 8:30 3   1/2   1   1           5 1 -1
9 STEFANSSON, JON 34:10 17 3/6 1/4 8/10   3 3 2   1     4 6 15
12 LORBEK, ERAZEM 21:59 14 5/7 0/2 4/5 2 3 5   2   1 1 5 3 14
15 RAY, ALLAN 24:35 14 2/3 1/3 7/8 1 1 2 2 1       1 6 20
20 UKIC, ROKO 30:38 15 4/7 1/5 4/4 1 1 2 1 1       2 4 14
22 GABINI, ROBERTO 27:23 4 2/3 0/2   2 2 4     2     4   -1
29 BAGNOLI, SIMONE DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
34 HAWKINS, DAVID 33:31 16 5/10 0/2 6/6 2 3 5   2 3     3 6 16
Team                                
Totals 200:00 86 22/39 4/20 30/39 9 13 22 5 7 7 2 1 28 30 74
56.4% 20% 76.9%
This game is not yet played

Head Coaches

VUJOSEVIC, DUSKO
Partizan Igokea
"This was a very important game for both teams. With this victory Partizan is closer to the Top 16. Congratulations to my players and thanks to our great fans. We fell into trouble with a turnover from Kecman and after an unsportsmanlike foul from Palacio we were in a dangerous position. But we managed to keep the lead until the end."
REPESA, JASMIN
Lottomatica Roma
"Congratulation to Partizan and its fans too. We played pretty good on offense, but our defensive work was bad. All the time we had problems under the boards. The result was tight all the time, but we did not manage to win at the end."

Players

VITKOVAC, CEDOMIR
Partizan Igokea
"Very important win. We were struggling all the time and our fans were pushing us. We can't lose with fans like this. I played with the mask, but that is not important now. Our win is important."
VELICKOVIC, NOVICA
Partizan Igokea
"This is a huge success. We prepared well for the game. We all know well what this win means and I think if we beat Bamberg on the road our chances to reach Top 16 are real."
UKIC, ROKO
Lottomatica Roma
"We lost the game because we played bad on defense. We allowed Partizan to score more than 90 points. On offense we were better, but that was not enough against a team like Partizan was tonight."
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