Guard Carlik and center Tyrique made the difference for victorious Partizan
Belgrade derby was all about the Joneses
Games the stature of the Belgrade Derby often require experienced players to stand tall.
However, since Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade came into Thursday’s clash against Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade without a single player with derby experience, it was going to go a different route.
And so, two EuroLeague rookies and a second-year player did much of the damage as coach Zejko Obradovic’s Partizan upended Zvezda 77-89.
Playmaker Carlik Jones was the star of the show with 21 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, while center Tyrique Jones delivered 12 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals. Isiaha Mike, making his third EuroLeague appearance and third start, contributed 13 points. One of those three seemed to be involved in almost every key or spectacular play on Thursday.
Zvezda led early and into the second quarter, which is when Carlik Jones took charge. With the score 31-27, the point guard scored 6 straight points to trigger a 1-12 run, during which Mike threw down a monster slam and Tyrique Jones wowed with a block off the backboard. Their combined efforts saw Partizan take a 39-35 cushion into halftime.
Mike scored 7 more points in the third quarter as Partizan took a double-digit lead, but there was cause for concern when Tyrique Jones left the court with a non-contact injury late in the quarter. The scare proved for naught as the big man took the floor to open the fourth quarter. And then took control.
Tyrique Jones stole the ball and dunked on Zvezda’s first possession. He got another steal on the next possession. And scored another basket soon after. He then corralled a contested defensive rebound and drew a foul from Zvezda’s Filip Petrusev. And if that onslaught didn’t kill Zvezda’s spirits, Carlik Jones’s impressive three-point play with 4:10 left that made it 63-78 all but did.
Coach Obradovic was pleased with the play of his entire team, though he singled out the efforts of a few, including Carlik Jones, at the postgame press conference.
"He has the traits of a leader and we know what he can do on the court. He has that in him and stands out among this group of players, but the important thing is that his teammates trust him and accept his leadership," Obradovic said of Carlik Jones. "He was really good tonight despite the fact that he didn't have a great shooting night from downtown."
Indeed, Carlik Jones missed all 5 of his tried from deep, but he more than made up for that by drawing 6 fouls and making 9 free throws without a miss in compiling a game-high PIR of 27.
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Partizan knew that to beat Zvezda, it would need strong efforts from players like Carlik Jones, who though new to the EuroLeague has shined on the international stage before with the South Sudan national team, and from Tyrique Jones, who is in his second EuroLeague season. But regarding Mike, who had yet to score all season and hadn’t played since Round 7, there had to be question marks. Not, however, for Obradovic.
"He's only recovered recently from injury as healing is a time-consuming process. We had to be patient because he was going to be our starting power forward and then he got injured. He was excellent tonight and we are glad that he returned with such a good performance," Obradovic said of Mike.
That trust and belief in those players was key to Partizan winning the derby, which just may end up as a defining moment in the season. If Partizan, which had lost six in a row before this, can get back on track and challenge for a playoff spot, soon other teams will be asking themselves if they can keep up with the Joneses.