2001-02Regular SeasonRound 9
December 20, 2001 CET: 00:00
Local time: 00:00 PALAIS DES SPORTS DE PAU
Before visiting Zadar on Thursday, Pau-Orthez had the obligation to win if it wanted to keep intact its helathy chances to make it out of Group C to the Top 16 of the Euroleague. The French champions did not fail, inflicting a very heavy 101-73 loss on their visitors and taking a positive 5-4 record into the holidays. It was Pau's biggest Euroleague win of the season, and it was a group effort, with Boris Diaw leading the offensive assault with 17 points. that was less than Davor Marcelic, whose 18 points led Zadar. With a 2-7 record, Zadar remain at the last place of Group C and now has few chances to survive the first round of the competition. Not so for Pau, which retains a half-hold on third place, where it is now tied with CSKA Moscow.

Did Pau-Orthez think the game was won before being played? The French champions entered the game very weakly, shooting only 1 for 9 from the field in the first five minutes. On the other side, Zadar was a little more efficient and took an early lead (3-10). Pau awakened however and chipped its way back to the point that Freddy Fauthoux, with a three-point shot in the corner, could finally give the home team the lead, 17-16, at the end of the first 10 minutes.

The second quarter started with bad news for Zadar as guard Hrvoje Perincic received his third and fourth fouls in the first minute. Despite this, the Croatians did not quit. Thanks to the inside presence of Ivan Grgat and the outside accuracy of Davor Marcelic, Zadar stayed in the game at 35-34 after 27 minutes. Pau-Orthez finally managed to mount a bigger margin after a technical foul given to Zadar coach Petar Popovic. Fauthoux hit the two free throws and scored on a drive, giving his team an eight-point, 46-38. At the buzzer, Michael Pietrus rained a jumper from behind the arc, giving Pau the biggest margin of the game, 51-40. With 13 points, Marcelic was the leading scorer of the first half. Sellers had 9 for the hosts.

Power forward Tomislav Ruzic scored the first four points after halftime for Zadar but the good moment for the Croatian team was short. Indeed, Pau responded with an 8-0 run and took a 17-point lead, 61-44, halfway through the quarter. The visiting team did not find any offensive solution and began to lose its defense, too. Boris Diaw scored the seven points in a row, including one spectacular dunk, to give Pau a 21-point lead after 30 minutes, 76-55.

Young forward Diaw continued his one-man show, nailing the first seven first points of the final quarter for his team. He was up to 14 in a row in 5 minutes. Zadar couldn't respond, all the more as Ivica Ruzic was fouled out. Suspense about the outcome was over, but Pau forward Florent Pietrus scored a last three-pointer at the buzzer to please the crowd and push the winning total over 100 points.
Thursday, December 20, 2001
Frédéric Gonella, Paris
No results found.
Referees: LLAMAZARES, FELIPE; GARCIA, JOSE RAMON; GUIRAO, LUIS
Attendance: 6000
By Quarter1234
Pau-Orthez17342525
Zadar16241518
End of Quarter1234
Pau-Orthez175176101
Zadar16405573
Pau-Orthez
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
4 FAUTHOUX, FREDERIC 15:45 15 1/1 3/4 4/4       2         1 3 18
5 LUKOVSKI, DRAGAN 24:15 9 1/3 1/3 4/4   2 2 8 2 2     2 4 17
6 PIETRUS, MICKAEL 21:42 6 0/2 2/5     3 3 2     3   2 2 9
8 DROZDOV, ARTUR 17:41 10 3/3 1/2 1/2   3 3 3   3     2 1 10
9 ESTELLER, ROGER 26:45 11 3/7 1/2 2/4   2 2   1       2 4 9
10 GADOU, DIDIER 6:45     0/1     1 1 5         1   4
11 PIETRUS, FLORENT 20:24 14 3/8 1/1 5/9 2 9 11 1 1 5     3 6 16
12 LEWIS, DERRICK 6:51 4 2/3 0/1         2 1       2   3
13 DIAW, BORIS 22:05 17 5/6 2/3 1/2 1 6 7 2 1 1     3 3 23
14 MILLING, KYLE 19:37 2 1/3   0/2 2 5 7 4   2     3 1 5
15 SELLERS, ROD 18:10 13 4/6   5/5 3 5 8 1   2     2 4 20
Team           2 2 4               4
Totals 200:00 101 23/42 11/22 22/32 10 38 48 30 6 15 3 0 23 28 138
        54.8% 50% 68.8%
Head coach: BERGEAUD, CLAUDE
Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating
Zadar
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
6 SKALABRIN, IVICA 7:06 2 1/1           1         3 1 1
7 ROBINSON, RUMEAL 32:54 10 4/10 0/5 2/2   4 4 5   5     3 5 5
8 PERINCIC, HRVOJE 31:23 5 2/2 0/5 1/2   2 2 1 1 1     4 2  
9 VRSALJKO, MARIN 10:50 4 2/2   0/1   1 1           2 2 4
10 SPRALJA, SIME 9:48   0/2             1       2   -3
11 MARCELIC, DAVOR 39:04 18 3/6 3/8 3/4   1 1 4 1       2 3 16
13 RUZIC, TOMISLAV 32:40 15 6/7 0/1 3/4 2 5 7 1   1     5 2 16
14 ODUOK, INYANG IME 20:14 9 4/10   1/2 1 7 8     4 2   2 2 8
15 GRGAT, IVAN 16:01 10 2/3   6/8   3 3 1   1     4 6 12
16 BANIC, MARKO DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Team                           1   -1
Totals 200:00 73 24/43 3/19 16/23 3 23 26 13 3 12 2 0 28 23 58
        55.8% 15.8% 69.6%
Head coach: POPOVIC, PETAR
This game is not yet played

Head Coaches

BERGEAUD, CLAUDE
Pau-Orthez
"We started badly in the first six minutes, because we didn't wait for team solutions. Later, we controlled the rebounds and we could run better. So we found our rhythm and a good passing game. That way, the game was easier. It's good to win and delivers showtime, but I know that there are a lot of injured players in Zadar."
POPOVIC, PETAR
Zadar
"Congratulations to Pau-Orthez. They were excellent. We played only eight good minutes and after that, nothing. Our players are too young and they don't have any experience. I hope Pau will be in fourth place but Bologna won and it will be difficult for them"

Players

DIAW, BORIS
Pau-Orthez
"We had some difficulties to get into the game but once we took the rhythm based on a good defense, the game became easier. Our rotations made the difference and we could play a spectacular basketball with good timing in our passing game. In the second half, with an 11-point lead for us, Zadar's defense lost of its intensity and I had good positions of shooting thanks to the team systems."
RUZIC, TOMISLAV
Zadar
"We started very well but after that, their pressure was terrific and we just couldn't score. They were good in defense and excellent in offense. That is the main reason why we lost."
No results found.