Partizan had the game in hand but let it slip away. A week after beating Crvena Zvezda in the Belgrade derby, Joan Peñarroya's team led by 11 in the fourth quarter in Villeurbanne, but a devastating 22-4 run by ASVEL flipped the script in the final minutes. The French side notches their third win (3-5) while Partizan falls to .500 (4-4).
ASVEL Strikes First
Partizan came out flat. ASVEL, with Patty Mills active, opened with an 11-1 run and controlled the entire first half, leading by as much as 11 points (36-25). The Serbs cut it close with a 0-7 run before halftime, with a three-pointer from Vildoza and a dunk from Lamar Stevens (36-32).
Partizan Takes Over
In the third quarter, Partizan seized control behind Tanasković, Vildoza, and Robert Franks, who in his debut scored inside and from the corner. Antonio Reeves also made his EuroLeague debut with a three-pointer. The Serbs won the period 20-27, continued to tighten their grip in the fourth quarter, and went up by 11 (58-69).
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The Run That Changed Everything
That's when Partizan fell apart. Plagued by turnovers, poor shooting, and nerves, ASVEL strung together a 22-4 run that took them from down 11 (58-69) to tied at 73 with 2:30 remaining, then ahead 75-73 with 1:45 left. A technical foul on Peñarroya with 45 seconds to go gave the French some breathing room (77-74), and a dunk by Bolomboy sealed the comeback.
Carlik Jones, who was supposed to be the floor general, never found his rhythm and spent stretches on the bench.
- Quarters: 22-19, 14-13, 20-27, 26-16
- Halftime: 36-32
- Venue: Astroballe, Villeurbanne
- ASVEL largest lead: 11 (36-25)
- Partizan largest lead: 11 (58-69)
- Record: ASVEL 3-5, Partizan 4-4