In the fourth round of the prestigious European basketball competition, the EuroLeague, Partizan visited Olympiacos in Piraeus, Greece. After several lead changes and a thrilling finish, Partizan was defeated by Olympiacos 98-94 after overtime.
Olympiacos had a 12-point lead in the second quarter, but then there was an incredible turnaround with Partizan going on a 28-4 run, considering the end of the first half and the third quarter. The fourth quarter saw a dramatic comeback by Olympiacos, followed by a game-tying three-pointer by James Nunnally to force overtime. The winner was determined only after an additional five minutes of play.
Before the game, it was announced that Luke Sikma and Ignas Brazdeikis would not be playing for Olympiacos. Mateusz Ponitka’s absence from Partizan’s lineup was already known.
Kostas Papanikoloaou opened the game with a three-pointer, and Kevin Punter responded for Partizan. After a three-pointer by Frank Kaminsky, Partizan took an 8-5 lead, but then came an 8-0 run by Olympiacos, giving them a five-point advantage. Alec Peters was in exceptional form at the beginning of the match, leading the red and white team to a 16-10 lead.
However, Zach LeDay on the other side played exceptionally well on both ends of the court. Moustapha Fall was a formidable presence in the paint, contributing to a new six-point lead, to which James Nunnally responded with a three-pointer. Despite Partizan closing the gap to just one point, the score at the end of the first period was 28-21 in favor of Olympiacos.
At the start of the second quarter, Partizan managed to score points, but defensive lapses were ruthlessly punished on the other end. As a result, Zeljko Obradovic had to call a timeout with the score at 36-31. Following another 5-0 run, Nigel Williams-Goss and Thomas Walkup gave Olympiacos a double-digit lead for the first time in the match, 41-31.
LeDay was instrumental in keeping the black and white team in the game. Just when it seemed that Partizan might threaten, Olympiacos, led by Nikola Milutinov, regained a ten-point advantage, 49-39. The Belgrade team finished the first half with a 4-0 run, narrowing the gap to 49-43 before the second half.
As the most significant factor at the start of the second half, Alen Smailagic emerged. He first hit two three-pointers, then was 1-of-2 from the free-throw line, and completed Partizan’s 13-0 run with a dunk, giving Partizan a 52-49 lead. Although Olympiacos managed to score points through Peters, a new series of eight consecutive points by the black and white team, this time created by Danilo Andjusic and captain Punter, followed.
When Nunnally scored to put Partizan ahead by ten points, they completed an incredible 24-4 run. Kaminsky earned his fifth personal foul and a technical foul in the third quarter, but it did not affect the proceedings on the court. LeDay, in great form, then took Partizan to a 67-53 lead. Olympiacos managed to consolidate a bit towards the end of the third quarter, but the Belgrade team still led 69-59 heading into the final quarter.
Olympiacos showed they wouldn’t give up at the start of the fourth quarter, scoring two quick baskets to reduce the deficit to six points. Partizan continued to score first through Punter and then Smailagić, but they allowed Olympiacos to score two open three-pointers in a row, bringing the difference to just four points. Then, Papanikoloau stole the ball and dunked on a fast break to reduce the deficit to 75-73, prompting a timeout by Obradovic.
Punter then hit a mid-range shot, but in the next attack, he missed the chance to further increase Partizan’s lead with a three-pointer. Giannoulis Larentzakis made the game even at 79-79 with two minutes to go. Then, Smailagic hit another three-pointer, and in the next play, he committed his fifth foul. Papanikolaou reduced the deficit to one point from the free-throw line.
After two missed shots by Punter, Larentzakis gave Olympiacos a lead of 83-82. In the possession for the win, Punter lost the ball and fouled, giving the home team a three-point lead with five seconds left. Then, James Nunnally hit a three-pointer to send the game into overtime, continuing the drama!
![aleksa-avramovic](https://basketballsphere.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/aleksa-avramovic-2.jpg)
Although P.J. Dozier scored the first points in overtime, Walkup responded with four consecutive points to make it 89-87, and then Nunnally tied the game. Milutinov gave the Greek team a new lead from the free-throw line, and Punter tied the game again. The Serbian center in Olympiacos’ jersey ended up at the free-throw line again, this time going 1-of-2, and after a stolen ball by Walkup and Goss’s floater, it was 94-91. It was a nail-biting finish, but Olympiacos ultimately managed to secure the win.
The standout performers for the winning team were Giannoulis Larentzakis with 19 points, Milutinov had one point less with seven rebounds, and Alec Peters contributed 15 points. On the losing side, Zach LeDay impressed with 18 points, Kevin Punter scored 17, and Alen Smailagic set a new career-high in the EuroLeague with 16 points.
In addition to him, Nikola Milutinov also achieved a career-high, making 12 free throws after previously having a maximum of nine made free throws in one game.
In the next round of the EuroLeague, Partizan faces the “eternal” derby as they host Crvena Zvezda. On the other hand, Olympiacos hosts Anadolu Efes.
OLYMPIACOS – PARTIZAN 98:94 (28:21, 21:22, 10:26, 26:16, 13:9)
Arena: “Peace and Friendship”, Piraeus
Referees: Paternico, Aliaga, Majkic
Olympiacos: Walkup 13, Williams-Goss 9, Cannan 11, Lountzis 2, Larentzakis 19, Pappas, Fall 5, Papanikolaou 10, Peters 15, Milutinov 16, Tanoulis, Abosi
Partizan: Vukcevic, LeDay 18, Avramović 5, Koprivica, Punter 17, Smailagic 16, Jaramaz, Nunnally 12, Trifunovic, Andjusic 11, Dozier 6, Kaminsky 9