By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
After six defeats in a row, Partizan simply needed a win in any way possible and managed to lock Crvena Zvezda for an 89-77 triumph.
It was a tense and also uneventful game with 1.000 Partizan fans in a sold-out arena full of Zvezda fans. Carlik Jones with 21 points despite 0/5 threes was the top scorer of the winning side.
“It’s amazing, what a game with intensity and back and forth, so I am happy we got the win and despite putting the fans up high, we heard them loud and clear”, said Jones after the final buzzer.
Iffe Lundberg scored 13 points, Isiaha Mike was the X-factor also with 13 points and Tyrique Jones with 12 points and five rebounds also had a presence inside, which proved crucial.
In total Partizan shot 65,5% in two-pointers and had 40 rebounds, while Zvezda had 31.
Filip Petrusev with 20 points was the only scorer of Zvezda in double digits for most of the game, until Nemanja Nedovic reached 11 points and Rokas Giedriatis 10 near the end of the night.
Partizan with a 3-8 record finally escaped a tie on the bottom of the standings, while Zvezda after an impressive start in the season had a negative record (5-6) for the first time.
Dominating the paint
Zvezda got a two-point lead (21-19) after the first period, but Partizan turned things around by getting a six-point advantage (45-39) to end the first half and pushing it to 13 (52-49) with a 7-0 run in the start of the second.
Jones had 12 points in the first half for the guests, and Petrusev 11 for the home side, but Mike stole the show, being unexpectedly a starter and with his first three-pointer of the night putting Partizan up by 14 (55-41).
By tooth and claw, Zvezda turned up the defense and closed the third period down by eight (63-55). Partizan kept on and pushed the lead to 17 points (75-58), dominated the paint and Zvezda couldn’t turn the tide.
To be exact, Nemanja Nedovic made it a 12-point game (75-63) with a three, only for Jones to answer back with a goal foul (78-63) and Zvezda managed only to trim the final point difference.
Photo credit: EuroLeague