


Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade got back on the winning track behind a huge third quarter to beat visiting ALBA Berlin 88-74 on Thursday night at Stark Arena. ALBA led for the majority of the first half, but Partizan scored the first 9 points of the third as part of a 16-2 run en route to turning a 42-44 deficit into a 77-53 lead. ALBA got within 10 points with 3 minutes to go and had possession, but Partizan's 6-0 push iced the game.
Aleksa Avramovic was the game's top scorer with 19 points on 5-for-7 three-point shooting. Kevin Punter finished with 16 points, Zach LeDay had 13 points and Mathias Lessort collected 10 points and 6 rebounds. Maodo Lo scored 17 for ALBA, while Yanni Wetzell and Johannes Thiemann tallied 10 apiece in a losing effort.
Christ Koumadje's presence in the paint on both ends of the floor and back-to-back threes from Lo and Jonas Mattisseck put ALBA up 5-12 early on. Partizan replied with an 11-2 run behind Dante Exum and Ioannis Papapetrou as the hosts opened a 20-16 lead in the final minute of the first.
But Thiemann beat the first-quarter buzzer and then hit another triple early in the second as ALBA put together a 0-10 run to go back in front. Avramovic stepped up, though, stringing together 11 points including back-to-back-to-back three-pointers to give Partizan a 31-30 edge. Lo answered with a triple of his own and Jaleen Smith and Mattisseck added one apiece for ALBA to go up 35-42, only for Partizan to get it within 42-44 at the break.
Partizan opened the third quarter with an 11-0 run, which included one triple from Avramovic and a pair from Alen Smailagic. A three-pointer from Danilo Andjusic made it 56-46 and the second one from Andjusic started a 12-2 spurt, capped by another three from Avramovic for a 70-50 advantage. Lo ended ALA's drought, but Punter's three-pointer helped make it 77-53 after 30 minutes.
With the game out of hand, Wetzell ignited ALBA's offense early in the fourth quarter. The visitors held Partizan to just 3 points in the first 7 minutes. Gabriele Procida scored 6 straight and ALBA cut it to 80-70 and had possession. But Partizan answered through Punter, who sparked a 6-0 run, to seal the outcome.