Partizan will enter the Euroleague Top 16 as one of the underdogs, but it could play to their advantage. The Serbian champions host the favourites Real Madrid tonight at the Belgrade Arena and for Frenchman Joffrey Lauvergne, the goal is to compete and make everyone associated with Partizan proud.
Indeed, the deck looks to be stacked already, but this was a team that were 1-6 in the Regular Season, many had written them off. Then they suffered a colossal setback when they lost starting point guard Leo Westermann with an ACL tear. Partizan, former Euroleague champions in their own right looked doomed.
Showcasing the mental Serbian toughness instilled in them, they went out and won the last two out three games to scrape through to the Top 16. Sure they finished 3-7, and sure they look out of their depth on paper in a second round group that houses Final Four veterans like Real Madrid, CSKA Moscow and Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv, but the game of basketball isn’t played on paper. Partizan have a clean slate, they’re 0-0 heading into their house. The Belgrade Arena is reserved for games that the Serbian side feel are bigger, if that is possible than the Pionir Hall.
It doesn’t get any bigger than Real Madrid, unbeaten this season, both domestically and in the Euroleague. Runners-up last year to Olympiacos, they want to go one better.
For Partizan, they know that their backs will be against the wall as they face the favourites, but the 22-year-old will be relishing it.
“Well, when you play against Real Madrid – or any of the biggest teams in the Euroleague – you always have a special feeling,” Lauvergne said. “You know you are going to face one of the biggest teams in Europe. Partizan is a very young team and it is great to face Real Madrid at this particular moment. The arena will be full, with more than 20,000 fans supporting us. I can’t wait for it.”
The French big man isn’t promising anything, but what he is preaching is that his side are not in the Top 16 merely to make up the numbers, they will be tough opposition for anyone and that despite being outsiders, the Serbs will win some games.
“For us, the Euroleague is always special; for the club, our fans, for everybody,” he said. “We know that we have one of the smallest budgets in the Euroleague and nobody expects anything from us but fighting.
“Of course, we are a dangerous team because we can play at this level and will do it without pressure. When we play at home, it is going to be completely crazy. We will see what happens, but of course, I am sure we can win some games.”
Partizan is more than prepared for the visit of the Liga Endesa leaders. After a mini Christmas break, they defeated Bosnian side Igokea 83-80 after overtime and Lauvergne, who scored 10 points in that games owes that to the demanding, yet rewarding training sessions that coach Dusko Vujosevic puts them through.
“You practice a lot at Partizan,” Lauvergne explains. “You do a lot of team exercises, five-on-five, four-on-four, three-on-three. You work on your physical condition in the mornings, after that you work individually and some players stay after the morning practice for shooting drills.
“Of course, I have to improve my shot to become a better player, so he asks me to stay after every morning practice, asking me to score 10 shots in a row after pick-and-pops, or 10 in row from set spots. Like he always says, abilities have no limits and if you want something, you can get it.”
Indeed Partizan needs him firing on all cylinders tonight. His side’s game against Real Madrid is one of five Top 16 openers tonight.
Top 16 games: Jan. 2
Group E: Barcelona vs Anadolu Efes; Unicaja Malaga vs Laboral Kutxa; Panathinaikos vs EA7 Milano.
Group F: Galatasaray vs Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv; Partizan vs Real Madrid.
Jan. 3
Group E: Olympiacos vs Fenerbahce.
Group F: Lokomotiv Kuban vs CSKA Moscow; Zalgiris vs Bayern Munich.
Quotes taken from Euroleague.net
