BELGRADE — Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens delivered a dominant defensive display to beat Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade 72-55 at Belgrade Arena on Tuesday, spoiling Zeljko Obradovic's emotional return to his former club. The visitors held Partizan to just 55 points to improve to 5-0 and remain atop the EuroLeague standings.
Obradovic received an emotional welcome in front of more than 20,000 fans who greeted him with a standing ovation and a video tribute celebrating his achievements with Partizan, including the 1992 European championship that began his record nine-title EuroLeague coaching career. The Serbian coach had returned to Partizan for a second stint from 2021 until last season before taking over Panathinaikos again during the summer.
After a competitive opening quarter ended 16-16, Panathinaikos took control in the second period to lead 35-28 at halftime after outscoring Partizan 19-12. The visitors then extended their advantage with a decisive 20-8 third quarter to build a 54-36 lead and leave the hosts with too much ground to recover. Partizan finished shooting 4-for-26 from three-point range and 17-for-37 on two-pointers, while Panathinaikos made nine of their 24 attempts from beyond the arc. 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. For Partizan, Kevarrius Hayes finished with 10 points and Tonye Jekiri added nine.
The defeat was Partizan's second in a row following their 86-76 loss at Real Madrid in the previous round, leaving them 3-2. Panathinaikos host Hapoel Tel Aviv on Friday, while Partizan visit Fenerbahce on Thursday.