Panathinaikos wins Euroleague match

Panathinaikos defeated Partizan 72-55 in a Euroleague match at the Belgrade Arena, with Zeljko Obradovic receiving a warm reception from the 20,073 spectators. The game was closely contested in the early stages but saw Panathinaikos take control as the match progressed.

First half sets the tone

The match remained balanced for the first ten minutes (16-16), but Panathinaikos took a seven-point lead at halftime (28-35). This advantage grew significantly in the third quarter, where Partizan struggled to keep up.

Partizan's shooting woes

The third quarter proved decisive, with Partizan scoring only 8 points compared to 20 for Panathinaikos, who led 55-36 at the end of the quarter. Partizan struggled from beyond the arc, making only 4 of 26 shots. Kevarrius Hayes, who joined Partizan from Monaco this season, was their most effective player with 10 points and 17 rating points.

French players underperform

The two French players on Partizan's roster did not score. Joffrey Lauvergne played 10 minutes and recorded 2 rebounds, while Bandja Sy played 15 minutes and also recorded 2 rebounds. This followed their performance in the Adriatic League two days prior.

Panathinaikos' strong contributions

On the Panathinaikos side, Nigel Hayes-Davis was the top scorer with 14 points, followed by Juancho Hernangomez with 10 points. The French players on the Greek club all contributed: Sylvain Francisco scored 8 points and had 5 decisive assists, Guerschon Yabusele recorded 7 points and 5 rebounds, Moustapha Fall had 6 points and 7 rebounds in 13 minutes and 43 seconds, and Mathias Lessort, who previously played for Partizan from 2021 to 2023, scored 4 points, recorded 9 rebounds, and had 4 decisive assists for 15 rating points.

Obradovic's warm reception

The Partizan spokesperson mistakenly introduced Obradovic as "the coach of Partizan" during the press conference, which made Obradovic smile. According to Novosti, Obradovic, who was engaged by Panathinaikos in June for three seasons, thanked the public for the reception.

Obradovic on his past with Partizan

When asked about his departure from Partizan, Obradovic said, "I have no reason to go back on what happened. My relationship with this club is unbreakable, that's how it is." Obradovic, who previously coached Partizan during two mandates, mentioned that he knows there is a chance the club could become a permanent member of the Euroleague and confirmed that he had declined a gift the club was planning to give him before the match.

Obradovic's assessment of the game

On the playing side, Obradovic estimated, according to the Serbian site 24sedam, that his team had played their best defensive game of the season but played in a tense manner in attack, possibly due to the atmosphere. Partizan will travel to Fenerbahce on Thursday, October 15 for their sixth game, while Panathinaikos will host Hapoel Tel-Aviv the following day.