Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens delivered a dominant defensive performance to beat Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 72-55 on Tuesday, October 13, spoiling the Serbian club’s home game with former coach Zeljko Obradovic back in charge of the Greek side.
Obradovic received an emotional welcome at Belgrade Arena, where more than 20,000 fans greeted him with a standing ovation. A video tribute celebrated his achievements with Partizan, including the 1992 European championship that began his record nine-title EuroLeague coaching career.
The Serbian coach returned to Partizan for a second stint from 2021 until last season before taking over Panathinaikos again during the summer. His team showed its defensive strength against a Partizan side that struggled to find its rhythm in front of its home crowd.
After a competitive opening quarter ended 16-16, Panathinaikos took control in the second period, outscoring Partizan 19-12 to lead 35-28 at halftime. The visitors then extended their advantage with a 20-8 third quarter, building a 54-36 lead and leaving the hosts with too much ground to recover.
Partizan finished with just 55 points, shooting 4-for-26 from three-point range. Panathinaikos made nine of its 24 attempts from beyond the arc and limited the home team to 17-for-37 shooting on two-pointers.
Nigel Hayes-Davis led Panathinaikos with 14 points, while Juancho Hernangomez added 10. Sylvain Francisco contributed eight points and five assists, and Mathias Lessort recorded four points, nine rebounds and four assists in a strong all-around performance.
Partizan’s Kevarrius Hayes finished with 10 points, while Tonye Jekiri added nine. The defeat was the team’s second in a row following its 86-76 loss at Real Madrid in the previous round.
Panathinaikos improved to 5-0 and remained atop the EuroLeague standings. The Greek team hosts Hapoel Tel Aviv on Friday, while Partizan, now 3-2, visits Fenerbahce on Thursday.
