Partizan Belgrade completed the four-peat this weekend, with the team taking its fourth consecutive BBL title in extraordinary fashion. Dusan Kecman is today the toast of Belgrade (and owes Dame Fortuna quite a big favor) after sinking a three-pointer from beyond halfcourt to win over Cibona Zagreb, 75-74.
(It just isn’t Cibona’s year, is it?)
With the shot, Kecman saved one Partizan player from “goat” status while simultaneously cruelly snatching away the “Hero” title from a pair of Cibona shooters. After Marko Tomas hit a three-pointer to close the gap to 72-71, Lawrence Roberts proceeded to miss consecutive free-throw shots. With no timeouts, Zagreb got the ball upcourt and over to Bojan Bogdanovic, who sent home the three like Big Shot Rob used to do, but “left” 0.6 seconds on the clock.
And fate had other plans for Cibona at that 0.6 seconds, it seems. Video of the insane last 25 seconds of gametime and official FIBA writeup run below the break.
(FIBA) – Serbia national team guard Dusan Kecman gave the Adriatic League an incredible finish on Sunday that left Partizan Belgrade celebrating a fourth title in a row.
With just 0.6 seconds remaining in overtime, Dusan Kecman released a shot from beyond half-court and watched it bank in as Partizan Belgrade shocked Cibona in the final, 75-74.
“What is there to say after such a victory?” Kecman said.
“I do not know how to explain it. This happens once in a million years.”
Croatia international Marko Tomas had hit a three-pointer that pulled the Final Four hosts to within one and then Bojan Bogdanovic had buried a three for a 74-72 Cibona advantage.
Kecman, however, ruined the party for Cibona.
“After Bogdanovic’s three-pointer, I looked and saw that 0.6 seconds remained,” Partizan coach Dusko Vujosevic said.
“I sincerely believe that we would win.”
The game-winner not only gave Partizan their fourth straight Adriatic League crown.
It also reminded basketball fans in Europe that anything will be possible when the men from Belgrade travel to Paris for the Euroleague Final Four.
They will be underdogs against Olympiacos in the Semi-Finals on May 7 and, if they win, they’ll be underdogs again against the winner of the other semi between CSKA Moscow and Regal Barcelona.
Jamont Gordon and Tomas each had 31 points in defeat.
Australia international Aleks Maric poured in 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Partizan. Kecman, whose heroics helped the Black-and-Whites upset Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Euroleague Quarterfinals, finished with 10 points; Kecman may be playing his way into Dusan Ivkovic’s Team Serbia squad for the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey.
