ABA League – Quarter Final - G3

Partizan – Buducnost: The hosts will do what is necessary
Aleksa Avramovic missed a floater in the final second of Game 2 for Partizan, which could have secured their win after Kenan Kamenjas missed both free throws on the other end. It would have been a truly impressive win for the black and whites, considering they didn't make a single three-pointer in the second half. This is highly uncharacteristic for one of the best offenses in all of Europe. Zach LeDay had one of his weakest performances of the season, Mateusz Ponitka and Bruno Caboclo missed easy lay-ups, and even Kevin Punter was inaccurate numerous times despite scoring a high 17 points. Despite one of their weakest performances in recent times, Partizan came within one shot of winning in a hostile atmosphere and potentially closing out this best-of-three series after two games.

Now, the series moves to Belgrade for the decisive game where Partizan will be a big favorite. Buducnost also struggled with poor shooting in the first two games, and they're finding it difficult to create good opportunities. McKinley Wright hasn't provided the necessary contribution, Allerik Freeman barely gets any chances from head coach Andrej Zakelj, and Yogi Ferrell has been unable to hit anything from distance. Kenan Kamenjas, Nikola Tanaskovic and Yoan Makoundou are doing a decent job in the frontcourt, but it's futile if their backcourt teammates don't start performing up to expectations. Andrija Slavkovic contributes little offensively but is crucial defensively, often capable of guarding multiple players, as he demonstrated in mismatches against Frank Kaminsky.

Based on what we've seen in these two games, it would be a massive surprise if Buducnost poses any threat in Belgrade in Game 3. If it weren't for their fanatical atmosphere in Game 2, this series would likely be over by now. In the Serbian capital, everything will be different as Partizan will have over 15,000 fans behind them, which is never a negligible factor in the ABA League playoffs. This is likely the type of game where Partizan could establish a double-digit lead or a three-possession advantage in the first half. Buducnost might maintain it through the third quarter at best, but at some point, the black and whites will likely make a run of seven or eight points to seal the deal. A double-digit win for Partizan is the most realistic outcome, although it's possible that the visitors could narrow the gap in the final moments if head coach Zeljko Obradovic opts to send in bench players due to a significant lead.