Kosner Baskonia fell 80-66 to Partizan Mozzart Belgrade on Wednesday at the Belgrade Arena during the 11th round of the EuroLeague, as infobae reported.
The Spanish side ran out of energy in the final period, managing just six points while the Serbian squad pulled away to secure the victory.
Carlik Jones sparked the surge for the hosts, finishing with 16 points, six assists, and four rebounds. Tonye Jekiri anchored the interior play for Partizan with a performance worth -25 valuation credits, while Baskonia struggled under the weight of 17 turnovers.
Baskonia answers early Belgrade leads with perimeter scoring
The hosts established early advantages before Baskonia answered from the perimeter. Velimir Perasovic watched his team fight through a first quarter that ended 23-18 in favor of the Belgrade club, despite Robert Franks making an immediate impact for the Serbians.
Chris Duarte tied the contest with his second triple as scoring slowed down in a physical second quarter. Jekiri and Kenneth Faried exchanged intensity in the paint while Jones struggled to find an early rhythm.
The visiting side found better flow before halftime, pulling ahead at the 17-minute mark following another three-pointer from Duarte. Rodions Kurucs played in the ‘five’ position, helping keep the Vitoria team within striking distance at 42-38 at the break, aided by positive contributions from Luca Vildoza, according to infobae.
Fourth-quarter collapse in Belgrade
Partizan exploited its physical advantage in the paint early in the third quarter through Jekiri and Nikola Tanaskovic, building a double-digit lead. Matteo Spagnolo then ignited a 2-8 run for Perasovic’s team that tightened the scoreline before Jones steadied the hosts at 65-60.
Baskonia failed to capitalize on multiple opportunities to take the lead at the start of the final stanza. The offense stalled completely, producing only three points across the first seven minutes of the period as Partizan pushed its advantage to 74-63.
“Han sabido jugar mejor que nosotros en los momentos importantes,” said Velimir Perasovic, as reported by El Correo. “Creo que hemos estado bien hasta los últimos seis o siete minutos, donde hemos perdido toda opción con muchos errores en defensa y en ataque.”
Baskonia adjusts rotation as Kurucs returns from injury
Baskonia welcomed back Kurucs from injury to bolster a frontcourt missing Tadas Sedekerskis and Márcio Santos. Perasovic said that Faried’s effectiveness drops when forced to play extended minutes.
“Necesitamos jugadores en el puesto de pívots,” Perasovic told El Correo. “Con la llegada de nuevos jugadores le va a dar un plus.”
The defeat leaves the Basque club with a record of one victory and ten losses in the continental competition. The team prepares for its next EuroLeague fixture while adjusting its rotation.
Partizan scoring leaders drive 80-point total
Partizan Mozzart Belgrade assembled its 80-point total behind contributions from Carlik Jones with 16 points, Ethan Thompson with four points, Robert Franks with seven points, Vanja Marinkovic with six points, Tonye Jekiri with 17 points, Luca Vildoza with two points, Nikola Tanaskovic with 14 points, Arijan Lakic with five points, and Alessandro Pajola with nine points, while Antonio Reeves did not score.
Kosner Baskonia responded with 66 points distributed among Kobi Simmons with five points, DJ Stewart with six points, Chris Duarte with 15 points, Stefan Joksimovic with two points, Clement Frisch with eight points, A.J. Lawson with six points, Rodions Kurucs with 10 points, Matteo Spagnolo with six points, and Kenneth Faried with eight points.
The match officiating was handled by referees Borys Ryzhyk from Ukraine, Olegs Latisevs from Latvia, and Maxime Boubert from France. During the contest, Partizan coach Joan Peñarroya received a technical foul in the fourth minute.
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