Panathinaikos beats Partizan 72-55 in Belgrade to stay unbeaten in EuroLeague

A comfortable away win

Panathinaikos AKTOR beat Partizan 72-55 in Belgrade in round 5 of the EuroLeague, winning its fifth game out of five and its first away game of the season. The result keeps Panathinaikos unbeaten at 5-0 and at the top of the standings, while Partizan falls to 3-2 after a strong opening. The defeat was also Partizan's first home loss in the competition. According to in.gr, Panathinaikos had not beaten Partizan in Belgrade since March 2010, and this win ends that run.

How the game was decided

Both teams struggled early, with low scoring and poor shooting from the field. The first quarter ended 16-16 after Panathinaikos closed it with a 9-4 run over the final three minutes. Panathinaikos led 35-28 at halftime, with its defence limiting Partizan's attacking options. The decisive stretch came early in the second half, when three consecutive three-pointers from Gerson Yabusele, Nikos Rogkavopoulos and Jerian Grant pushed the gap to 16 points. Partizan scored only eight points in the third quarter, and the period ended 55-36 in Panathinaikos' favour.

The lead reached 20 points at one stage, and Panathinaikos managed the final quarter without letting Partizan return to contention. The game ended 72-55 at the final whistle.

Key performers

Nigel Hayes-Davis led Panathinaikos with 14 points, scoring 10 of them in the second quarter. Juancho Hernangomez added 10 points in his return to EuroLeague action, and Matthias Lesort grabbed nine rebounds. Sylvain Francisco finished with 8 points and 5 assists. On the Partizan side, Kevarious Hayes was the only player in double figures, finishing with 10 points.

Obradovic's return to Belgrade

The game was Zeljko Obradovic's first return to Belgrade since his resignation. The home crowd gave him a warm reception, and the whole arena applauded him, which moved him. He declined a gift offered by Partizan's management and watched his side play with strong defence through the night.