It was never going to be straightforward

Countless nerves, two short handed teams, and one wild crowd ensured drama was going to be on the menu no matter what at the Stark Arena

Real Madrid took Game 3 having looked destined to not even make a game of it because of course this series between Los Blancos and Partizan must continue to bend our minds for at least one more game. The fans brought the colour, the players brought the drama, and Edy brought the smash.

It looked like a walk
Partizan opened on a 12-0 run that ran only 2 minutes and 30 seconds but Real Madrid felt absolutely every moment of it as they looked like a team beaten before the game even began. We’ll get to the why, don’t worry.

Even after the visitors, who were down 2-0 in the series and needed to win this, got some offence going it hardly looked a contest for most of the first half. Everything Partizan did offensively worked. Real didn’t really do much offensively and that was seemingly the story of the game.

Unleash Edy
I am that guy when playing Street Fighter, Tekken, or whatever that just spams something that works and hopes it is enough. It’s generally not advisable at a semi-reasonable level of video games, let alone in the highest level of basketball yet it worked and then some for Real Madrid.

Real Madrid just put the ball in the hands of Walter Tavares over and over again, spamming the paint, and it forced harsh adjustments from Partizan on D that brought the rest of the Real line-up into play and gave them real options offensively. By the half, this wasn’t a coronation. Deep in the third, Real looked the flat-out better team despite their absences.

The Partizan fans excelled
The home crowd was going to be special at this one no matter what but, wow, give yourselves an enormous pat on the back Partizan fans. Even from the far from engaging environs of my kitchen, it was impossible to miss the brilliance of the pre-game display from the home fans in this one.

Throughout the game, they knew their role to be in this and to be loud. None of this surprised anyone watching and it certainly doesn’t surprise anyone reading this but that doesn’t make it any less worthy of praise. The Partizan fans have been praised throughout the season for bringing something special and this is why. Simply brilliant from the home fans.

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