BELGRADE — Partizan defeated Baskonia 91-79 in the final matchday of the EuroLeague, with Tonye Jekiri leading the way, in a playoff-irrelevant game that concluded the European season for both teams.
The game began evenly at the Belgrade Arena, with Partizan and Baskonia exchanging baskets in a competitive first half. The Serbian squad found better offensive rhythm as the minutes progressed, building small leads that allowed them to head into halftime ahead (44-39) in this closing matchday of the EuroLeague.
After the break, Partizan took a step forward and began to open up the scoreboard. The Belgrade team found solidity on both ends of the floor, building a double-digit advantage that allowed them to control the game's pace. Tonye Jekiri led the effort with 16 points and 5 rebounds, well supported by Carlik Jones, who delivered a complete performance with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists, and Sterling Brown, also with 13 points.
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Baskonia tried to mount a comeback in the final stretch, relying on the accuracy of Mamadi Diakite, the game's leading scorer with 20 points, alongside Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot (13) and Kobi Simmons (11). However, when the visitors threatened to close in, a crucial three-pointer from Aleksej Pokuševski halted any comeback attempt and secured Partizan's definitive control.
This Partizan victory in the EuroLeague allows them to close the season with a record of 16-22, in a campaign without playoff qualification possibilities in the EuroLeague.
For their part, Baskonia finishes their EuroLeague participation with a record of 13-25, also outside the playoff race, in a European season that concludes without competitive reward.