Partizan secured a important win over Cibona by 87:74 in an away game in Zagreb in the ABA League Round 16th.
It should be mentioned that James Nunnally and P.J. Dozier did not travel with the team to Zagreb due to rest following their EuroLeague efforts. Additionally, Aleksa Avramovic is still not in the lineup as he is recovering from an injury.
Tomislav Buljan and Aleksandar Aranitovic fantastically opened the game, bringing Cibona into an 11:4 lead through fast play in transition, provoking an angry reaction from coach Zeljko Obradovic and a timeout.
Despite Partizan “waking up,” Cibona, with exceptional teamwork and good shooting percentages, further increased the lead to 21:9. The black-and-white team tried to catch up with an offensive rhythm and managed to reduce the lead, ending the quarter with a three-pointer from Ognjen Jaramaz at the buzzer, making it 25-20.
Partizan, with a solid 6:0 run at the start of the second quarter, narrowed the deficit to just one possession (28:26). Fueled by the inspired play of captain Kevin Punter, Partizan took the lead midway through the second quarter (32:29). Cibona, led by Jakov Mustapic, responded with a 5-0 run for a new turnaround, making it 34:32.
Both teams called timeouts, and both coaches were visibly frustrated. However, Aranitovic, with a three-pointer off the backboard, extended Cibona’s lead. Jaramaz and Zach Leday brought the score to 40:38 in favor of the black and whites at the end of the first half, heading into the second half of the game.
Partizan continued their good rhythm into the third period, establishing their largest lead up to that point with a 7:2 run (47:40). However, two turnovers by Partizan and poor defensive rotations were capitalized upon by Cibona, leading to a 5:0 mini-run. Kresimir Radovcic then earned his third personal foul, posing a problem for coach Dino Repesa as he had played exceptionally well until that moment.
Danilo Andjusic extended the lead to plus seven (52:45), prompting a timeout from Cibona’s bench. Leday followed up Andjusic’s three-pointer, giving coach Obradovic’s team a double-digit lead for the first time. Balsa Koprivica sealed the third quarter with a dunk, making it 61:51 heading into the decisive quarter.
In great form, Andjusic led Partizan to take a commanding 67:54 lead after hitting two three-pointers in just a few seconds. Just when it seemed like Partizan had control of the game, Radovcic responded with a series of baskets, narrowing the deficit to 67:63 and introducing a new level of excitement.
Partizan answered back through Jaramaz and Caboclo with a quick 5:0 run, extending the lead to 72:63. This prompted a timeout from coach Repesa just before the final stretch. Despite attempts by the Zagreb team to threaten, the black and whites, primarily through smart offensive play, managed to find good solutions and maintain their acquired lead until the very end, securing a comfortable win.
The most efficient players in the winning lineup were Bruno Caboclo with 18 points and Danilo Andjusic contributing 17 points. On the losing side, Aleksandar Aranitovic stood out with 17 points and seven assists.
In the upcoming round of the ABA League, Partizan will host the youngest team in the league, Mega, on their home court. On the other hand, Cibona’s next opponent will be Buducnost from Podgorica.