By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
In a packed Stark Arena, Partizan Mozzart Bet showcased their resilience as they rallied from a 24-point deficit against Maccabi Tel Aviv. With unwavering fan support, Zeljko Obradovic’s squad secured a remarkable victory, breaking a two-game losing streak.
Trailing 15-39 early in the second period, the Belgrade team orchestrated a turnaround in the third quarter, seized control in the fourth, and ultimately emerged victorious against Maccabi Tel Aviv with a final score of 88-79.
Although P.J. Dozier emerged as the most valuable player of the winning team with 23 points, seven rebounds, and a PIR of 26, it was James Nunnally who spearheaded the charge in the third quarter, scoring 10 points and contributing four assists in that period alone.
Nunnally concluded the match earlier than expected due to two unsportsmanlike fouls but managed to get 20 points, being just a rebound shy of a double-double. Bruno Caboclo was the only other player to reach double digits, scoring 11 points.
“I don’t care about the points; I care about playing with guys who fight. Guys who have my back, and we all have each other’s backs. It doesn’t matter if we’re losing or leading by 20 points, we will fight, and that’s the DNA of our team. That’s the main thing when you play for such a coach, this city, and these fans; you have to fight for this jersey,” Nunnally said.
For Maccabi, Wade Baldwin recorded 19 points and five assists, while Roman Sorkin added 14 points and six rebounds. Jasiel Rivero and Tamir Blatt each contributed nine points.
“We played two completely different halves. The third quarter was like a copy of the first, only the teams switched roles. I feel bad because we started the game very focused. We played excellently in the first half in both directions. I must give credit to Partizan; it’s not the first time they’ve made a comeback,” Maccabi’s coach Oded Kattash commented after the game.
Maccabi had an amazing opening, making a 16-0 run in the first few minutes. Partizan couldn’t even properly react and found themselves trailing 11-29 after 10 minutes. Nothing changed after the first few minutes of the second quarter, and the Israeli side quickly gained a huge 15-37 lead. Only after that did Partizan start playing better on both ends of the floor, but that was only sufficient to trim the deficit to 36-52 before halftime.
However, after the break, the hosts started playing more aggressively, and with the fans at their back, they turned the tables. First, they tied the score at 60, then took the 67-64 lead, but after 30 minutes, the scoreboard read 67-67. Partizan continued pushing and finally gained control of the match, going up to 80-71, and very soon, it was obvious there was no coming back for the guests.
“Our defense was key; when we rewind the film, in Istanbul, everything was the opposite, and now it has turned in our favor. At one point, we had a team rating in the negative, something you can’t achieve even if you try to, and they had +42. In the end, it was 102-77 for us. That says a lot about us and the team’s reaction,” Obradovic said at the press conference after the match.