An incredible performance on both ends paid dividends for the 24-year-old
Filip Petrusev showed in Belgrade derby that he can be ‘the future of Serbian basketball’
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Regular Season
Round 24 of 34
Group Regular Season
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Derby games often bring out the best in certain individuals, and that was certainly the case for Filip Petrusev in Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade’s 71-73 triumph over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade on Friday night.
Petrusev is no stranger to this derby, with this being the fourth time he has faced Partizan as a Crvena Zvezda player in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, but this was his most complete performance yet.
Despite finishing with 20 points and 8 boards the last time they met in Round 11, a game Partizan won 77-89, the Serbian forward led from the front all night long in the Round 24 rematch as Zvezda earned the bragging rights this time around – and it was a performance that shows his evolution as a player.
Once the final buzzer sounded inside Belgrade Arena on Friday, Petrusev had racked up 17 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 blocks as he did a bit of everything. Whether it was causing headaches for Partizan with his offense or helping restrict Tyrique Jones, Brandon Davies and Isaac Bonga to a combined 22 points, Petrusev played like a veteran.
“He’s the future of Serbian basketball, for sure,” teammate Nemanja Nedovic said on the EuroLeague’s postgame show. “I’m happy that he’s with us again. We try to use him the best way we can. I’m a big fan of his and I enjoy being his teammate.”
For Petrusev himself, he specifically changed his habits in the lead up to the Belgrade derby in order to have the best performance possible on the floor.
“I was so ready today,” he stated, also on the postgame show. “The last five days, I didn’t go out. I went to sleep at 11, which I never do. So I was just really getting ready for this game.”
In the second quarter, Tyrique Jones found himself on four fouls and had to make his way out of the game having been called for his third and his reaction towards the officials seeing him hit with an unsportsmanlike foul. Naturally, coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos wanted Petrusev, fellow forward John Brown and center Joel Bolomboy to take advantage.
“Yes, the idea was to take advantage of Tyrique’s foul trouble and all three big men, meaning Bolomboy, Petrusev and Brown, did a great job at both ends of the court,” Sfairopoulos commented in the postgame press conference. “Petrusev was particularly impressive, and even more so defensively.”
Petrusev is still just 24 years old, but he showed in Friday’s Belgrade derby just what he can do on the big stage. As Nedovic said, Petrusev is the future of Serbian basketball.