The home team’s playmaker stood out in an electrifying, high-scoring contest in front of a packed crowd
Partizan thrived as Aleksa Avramovic fired on all cylinders
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade headed into the clash with Anadolu Efes Istanbul under strong pressure after a poor run, which included four defeats in five EuroLeague games and a tough 79-85 loss to bitter local rival Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in the Serbian Cup final.
Players and head coach Zeljko Obradovic came under intense scrutiny from some of the fans, although the bulk of Partizan’s faithful got behind the 63-year-old tactician. The die-hard lot turned up against Efes sporting banners backing Obradovic and treated him to a standing ovation as he entered the jam-packed Stark Arena.
There had been speculation on Obradovic’s future at the club after the defeat by Zvezda, which he dismissed after a rousing 100-90 win over Efes in which guard Aleksa Avramovic shined with a career-high 30 points, a flurry of them at crunch time in the fourth quarter.
“I gave it some thought and I realized that I am either going to carry on here or call it the day,” Obradovic told the post-game press conference. “I am proud and happy to be a part of the club I love and grateful the fans said that I am one of them. I have no doubt at all what my future is and I want to thank everyone who supported me after the Cup final,” he added.
The players too stepped up to the plate, none more so than Avramovic, who came into the game buoyed by a pair of good performances for Serbia in the team’s opening two wins in Eurobasket 2025 qualifying.
Avramovic netted 18 points in Serbia’s 77-61 home win over Finland and added 12 in a 63-76 victory at Georgia, while he matched the combined tally against Efes as EuroLeague action resumed after a three-week break.
Avramobic has had a topsy-turvy season as he struggled with injuries for long spells, but on Thursday night he produced the best performance of his career in Europe’s premier club competition. It came just when Partizan (13-14) needed him most, as another defeat would almost certainly have derailed the club’s hopes of making the post-season.
Humble as ever, Avamovic acknowledged that the team rose to the occasion when the chips were down: “It’s been a turbulent time for us, culminating in the cup final defeat to Zvezda and it was so important to get back to winning ways,” he told reporters after the rip-roaring contest with Efes.
“We all believed and this win should be a great springboard for the remainder of the season. I got a lot of support from Coach Obradovic after my accomplishments with Serbia and felt great out there on the court against Efes.
“I always leave it all out there so I can go home with my chin up knowing that I’ve done my best, but one player doesn’t make a team. We played fantastic team basketball against Efes and we now face some hard work to get where we want to be. We want to retain the regional ABA League title and reach the EuroLeague Playoffs. If we can do that anything is possible, but we have to take it one game at a time.”
Partizan next visits EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and Barcelona before a string of home games against Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, Real Madrid and Olympiacos Piraeus.