Black and white “blietzkrieg”: Partizan dominates Milano with a 29-4 run for third consecutive win in the elite
0![Black and white “blietzkrieg”: Partizan dominates Milano with a 29-4 run for third consecutive win in the elite Foto: KK Partizan](https://basketballsphere.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/bruno-caboclo-1.jpg)
Photo: KK Partizan
Partizan overcomes 15-point deficit to beat Milano 82-69 in the 13th round of EuroLeague.
Partizan secured a win against Milano with a final score of 82-69, overcoming a 15-point deficit on their home court in the 13th round of the EuroLeague.
The home team had to play without Uros Trifunovic and Frank Kaminsky, while the guests were missing Nikola Mirotić and Billy Baron.
Milano had a strong start in the first quarter, led by Maodo Lo and Shavon Shields, establishing a 23-16 lead. Despite Bruno Caboclo’s outstanding performance on the opposing side of the court, Partizan managed to regroup and, at one point, even took the lead. However, Milano surged again, with Shields leading the way, resulting in a halftime score of 44-39 in favor of Ettore Messina’s team.
The home team struggled with energy levels, especially at the beginning of the third quarter. Offensively, Partizan couldn’t inflict damage on their opponent, resulting in a mid-quarter deficit in double digits. Despite this, the black and white team made a comeback, entering the fourth quarter with Milano holding a narrow lead of 62-61. In that crucial phase, Zach LeDay and James Nunnally shone, proving to be unstoppable forces for whom the opposing team ultimately had no answer.
Top scorers for the winners were Kevin Punter with 19 points and Caboclo with 16 points each. Shields led the guests with 19 points.
In the upcoming round, Partizan will be on the road against Zalgiris, while Milano will host Virtus.
Once again, Zeljko Obradovic opted to start the game with three tall players, a pattern that has become customary for the black and white team. However, unlike the previous match, this lineup did not yield positive results for the home team, particularly in defense. Bruno Caboclo compensated for this with two three-pointers on the other end. Despite the solid performance from the Brazilian, who reached double digits early in the game, Shavon Shields and Maodo Lo neutralized his impact. Thanks to them, Milano gained a seven-point advantage. The ankle injury to Aleksa Avramovic further concerned the Belgrade team, appearing to be of a more serious nature.
Partizan then significantly improved as the game progressed. With a 9-2 run, they turned the situation on the court around, taking a two-point lead after a three-pointer from Kevin Punter. Milano responded with an 8-0 run, signaling to their opponent that another challenging night lay ahead. The guests maintained and even extended their lead to nine points in the following minutes, but Obradovic’s team managed to reduce the deficit to minus five by the end of the half. Shields, with five three-pointers before halftime, was the primary architect of Milano’s advantage.
At the beginning of the third quarter, the teams traded baskets, favoring the guests who maintained their lead. Milan’s offensive rebounding started to click, while Partizan’s offense came to a complete halt. Exploiting this, the guests, led by Nicolo Melli, surged to a double-digit lead for the first time in the game. Messina’s team quickly extended the lead to plus 15, making it clear that Partizan was in significant trouble. However, the black and white team managed to stage a rapid comeback. In just two minutes, they narrowed the gap to half a point, setting the stage for another intense drama.
P.J. Dozier laid the ball in for Partizan’s first lead in a long time. The home team didn’t stop there. James Nunnally was accurate from long range, extending the lead to plus six, prompting Messina to call a timeout. However, this did not aid the struggling visitors. In no time, they were trailing by 10 points. Partizan maintained their lead until the end, securing their seventh win in the elite competition.
PARTIZAN – MILANO 82:69 (20:25, 19:19, 22:18, 21:7)
Venue: “Stark arena”, Beograd, Referees: Radovic, Cortes, Majkic.
Partizan: Vukcevic, LeDay 15, Avramovic, Koprivica, Punter 19, Smailagic 9, Jaramaz, Nunnally 10, Andjusic 3, Dozier 8, Ponitka 2, Caboclo 16.
Milano: Lo 12, Poythress, Bortolani, Tonut 8, Melli 9, Kamagate, Ricci, Flaccadori 6, Hall 5, Shields 19, Hines 5, Voigtmann 5.