Foster's Buzzer Beater Sinks Partizan in Athens

The ball travels behind Nik Kalates’ back, Markus Foster is alone in the corner, the buzzer is already sounding the end of the game, and he still gets the shot off. He made it. PAOK win 100-99, and Partizan are left without a place in the final of the Pavlos Janakopulos tournament in Athens.

That sequence capped a wild final thirty seconds. Partizan were up two points and had the ball, enough to close out the game without taking any risks. Instead, Nikola Tanaskovic tried to find Keverijus Hejs and threw a bad pass, PAOK recovered it and got another possession. Nik Kalates drove for a layup and missed, but the home side won the defensive rebound, the ball found Foster in the corner, he first faked out Hejs, then sank the three-pointer at the buzzer.

The game at OAKA Arena was the semifinal of the eighth edition of the memorial tournament, and Partizan faced a team that has been coached since this summer by Andrea Trinkijeri, who until recently was in charge at the club from Humska Street. That alone gave the matchup extra weight even before the opening tip, even though it was only preseason preparation.

PAOK led 30-26 after the first quarter, Partizan answered 26-24 in the second to trail by just two points at halftime, 54-52. The hosts from Thessaloniki won the third quarter 27-20 to go up seven points heading into the final ten minutes, before both sides traded points down the stretch until the three that decided the game. Dzedi Osman was the top scorer for the winning side with 27 points, 15 of them in the first quarter alone, while Foster finished the game with 25 points. For Partizan, Keverijus Hejs led all scorers with 18 points, Nikola Tanaskovic added 16 points and five rebounds, and Karlik Dzons had 14 points and five assists. Itan Tompson (13), Kajla Olman (9) and Luka Vildoza (5) also scored, while Nik Kalates added 6 points and four assists for PAOK.

What Penjaroja Said

Partizan coach Djoan Penjaroja did not seem as disappointed after the game as one might expect after a last-second loss.

“This was a good game for us, to learn different situations through play. It’s clear that we want to win, but that isn’t the most important thing right now. It’s better to lose a game like this today than in an official match.”

He said this right after the final buzzer, then also gave his assessment of his team’s performance.

“I’m satisfied at this moment, that’s normal. This was probably our first game with a more or less complete roster. We’ll need time, but I’m happy.”

Asked about the mood in the squad ahead of the start of the season, Penjaroja also weighed in on what awaits Partizan in the EuroLeague.

“I’m satisfied because we have real workers. I think the atmosphere is good, but we have to keep learning because the competition ahead of us is very tough.”

Ahead of the trip to Athens, in our article “Penjaroja before Athens: doubts over Lovernja and Lakic,” the Spanish coach admitted he had doubts about two players’ readiness for the tournament. Foster’s three-pointer, it seems, only confirmed that the team is not yet at the level it will need to reach once the real season begins, though at least the roster was close to the complete one Penjaroja is looking for.

When Does Partizan Play Next?

Partizan play in Athens today for third place against Burgos, the team that was routed by Panatinaikos 90-69 in the other semifinal, with a 25-10 first quarter and 18 points from Silven Fransisko. The final will therefore pit host club Panatinaikos, coached since this summer by Zeljko Obradovic, against Trinkijeri’s PAOK, meaning two former Partizan coaches will face off for the trophy.

Sources differ on the exact time of the third-place game: B92 reports that Partizan play at 4 PM local time with the final at 7 PM, while Novosti write that Partizan’s game is scheduled for Saturday at 8:15 PM.

Whatever the exact schedule, Partizan have just one more test left before the real start of the season. Partizan open their EuroLeague campaign on Friday, September 25, at 8:45 PM at Belgrade Arena against Olimpija of Milan, in front of a home crowd that will have little patience for the kind of sloppy transition play that cost them the game in Athens. The pass Tanaskovic threw to Hejs on that final possession is a mistake that costs far more in an official game than in a preseason friendly, and that is exactly what Penjaroja will need to fix before Friday.