By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Zalgiris Kaunas had a great start in Belgrade, opening the match with a 15-4 run, but Partizan Mozzart Bet slowly found their rhythm and erupted in the final period to take the win.
Led by P.J. Dozier and Zach LeDay, and with a good last-quarter performance from Frank Kaminsky, Zeljko Obradovic‘s side defeated Lithuanian champions 81-72, and improved their record to 12-11.
P.J. Dozier was on fire in the first half, emerging as Partizan’s standout player with 17 points. He eventually concluded the match by tying his EuroLeague career-high with 23 points.
While he ended up as the top scorer for the winning side, Zach LeDay was the most valuable player on the Serbian team, delivering a season-best performance. LeDay scored 21 points, secured five rebounds, and shot an impressive 6/8 from the field and a perfect 8/8 from the free-throw line, resulting in a game-high PIR of 32.
“We just got back to having fun. In the past two games, we returned to playing freely, running, and not overthinking the game. Today, we moved the ball, scored, played defense, and we fought—that’s how we secured the victory. It wasn’t anything strategic. We have the quality, the players, and when we play freely like that, running fast and moving the ball, like a Mustang with no saddle, we can beat any team in EuroLeague,” LeDay said.
Interestingly, Frank Kaminsky had only two points until the final period but played a crucial role in the fourth quarter, adding 10 more points. He finished as the team’s third-best scorer with a total of 12 points.
As for Zalgiris, only Keenan Evans was in a good offensive mood, scoring 25 points, while the only other player in double digits was Laurynas Birutis with 11 points.
Zalgiris “weren’t good enough to win”
Partizan had only nine assists with 14 turnovers and shot 4/16 from beyond the arc, but displayed a great defensive effort in the decisive moments, finishing the match with an impressive 25/33 two-point field goals.
“Almost every game out here is stressful, but we played a good team. They really know how to play, to control the game because Andrea Trinchieri does a great job. However, we found a way to play really well in the second half, and because of this, we won,” Obradovic said.
Obradovic’s side once again showed that they are masters of comebacks, recovering from a double-digit deficit in the first quarter and seizing the lead in the dying moments of the first half. A 10-2 run in the second period allowed the hosts to take control, but Zalgiris managed to fight back and tie the score at 59. Thanks to a stellar defense in the final period and a 12-2 run at the beginning of it, Partizan finally broke the opponent’s resistance and swiftly put the game to bed.
“We fought hard, relying on someone to support Keenan Evans in scoring. It was a very difficult game, and although we played and competed, we weren’t good enough to win tonight,” Zalgiris’ head coach Andrea Trinchieri concluded.
Photo: euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague