Partizan saw off Olimpia Milano 92:76 in the EuroLeague on Thursday evening in Belgrade, a result that shifted the balance in a tightly contested mid-table race. We had backed the visitors to edge it, with 57 percent confidence, but the match went another way entirely. By then the home side had already settled into a rhythm that Olimpia couldn't quite match.
What stood out was the defensive intensity from Partizan — twelve steals against just two from the visitors. And here's the thing, Olimpia moved the ball decently enough with seventeen assists, but they turned it over fifteen times, giving Partizan plenty of chances to punish them. The hosts converted thirteen free throws to nine, and that margin on the line proved decisive.
Looking at the numbers, Partizan pulled down twenty-nine rebounds to Olimpia's twenty-five, with eight on the offensive end. They also shot better from distance, hitting eleven three-pointers apiece, but their overall field goal percentage told the real story. Olimpia managed twenty-eight successful shots from fifty-seven attempts, while Partizan hit thirty-four from sixty-two.
Olimpia have found form recently, beating Venice 94:87 and Virtus Bologna 80:71 in their last two outings. Partizan's run against Dubai was mixed — losses to 81:83 and 81:86, but a 93:99 win and 84:70 victory to round out the fixture list. They've not been consistent, but on this night the energy was unmistakable.
The standings now sit Partizan fifteenth on sixteen wins from thirty-eight games, one place behind Olimpia who sit on seventeen victories. They're separated by just two points in the table, and this result closes the gap considerably. To be fair, neither side is breathing easy, but Partizan have given themselves something to build on.
