SRB - Vujanic: this is my year

ATHENS (Euroleague Final Four) - Panathinaikos guard Milos Vujanic has enjoyed much bigger nights scoring points, but the Serbian has never had a more important win in his career than Sunday's 93-91 triumph over CSKA Moscow in the Euroleague Final.

Vujanic, 26, was selected 34th overall in the 2002 NBA draft by the New York Knicks and just a few months later won a gold medal with Yugoslavia at the FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis.

But after electing to delay his move to America and remain in Europe, Vujanic was twice struck down by serious knee injuries.

Vujanic suffered the first in May 2005 while playing for Fortitudo Bologna in Italy, and the second the following season when, after signing for Barcelona, he injured his knee again.

Twice he went under the knife, and twice he battled back to play Euroleague basketball.

Last summer he joined up with his former national team coach Zeljko Obradovic at Panathinaikos and has not only remained healthy, but immediately found success.

"This is a big moment for me," he said. "I am so happy. Everything is good for me now after the many injuries I had in the past.

"After one year, I am feeling very well, I played well in this Final Four and we won the title. This is my year!"

A bonafide star at Belgrade clubs Red Star and Partizan and then Fortitudo, Vujanic has been a squad player in Athens.

However, on Sunday he came off the bench to play 18 minutes and score a season high 12 points.

On a night when Panathinaikos made a Euroleague Final record 38 free throws from a record number of attempts - 46 - Vujanic buried all nine his shots from the line.

In one key stretch late in the first half, when CSKA cut the deficit to just two, Vujanic entered the game and scored seven straight points.

After burying a three-ball, he followed with four consecutive free throws to help Panathinaikos take a 42-32 lead to half-time.

Vujanic was not the only Serbian to have a major impact on the game.

First, there was his coach, Obradovic, who celebrated his record sixth Euroleague Final Four trophy, while Dejan Tomasevic, the Panathinaikos hardman, is also Serbian.

In just over 21 minutes, Tomasevic had 16 points on six of nine shooting from the floor and four of six at the line.

He was also a warrior on defense, making life very difficult for the CSKA big man Matjaz Smodis.

It was a great day all-around for Tomasevic and the Euroleague Final Four MVP, Dimitrios Diamantidis.

The former celebrated his 34th birthday on Sunday while the latter celebrated his 27th.

"I have been in a Final Four 10 times, and six times the champion," said Obradovic.

"That's not important. What's important is, as I said to some of them after, we must believe that we have the
quality to come back to the next Final Four.

"The other important thing is today was the birthday of Mr Diamantidis and Mr Tomasevic. Everything is for them, the players."

Jeff Taylor
FIBA