Partizan won the Belgrade derby with steals and turnovers

The second-ever edition of the Belgrade derby in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague was decided by a fine margin of a single point, as Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade edged Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade 78-79.
In a game that Partizan led from the midway point of the first quarter all the way to the end, but never by more than eight points, it was the difference in steals and turnovers that tilted the game in the visitors' favor.
"We had a big plus in that segment," stated Partizan head coach Zeljko Obradovic, and his Zvezda counterpart Dusko Ivanovic agreed: "A big difference in steals and turnovers on both sides is where the margin was made."
Partizan, who entered the game averaging a league-low 5.8 steals, had 8 in the first half alone. Partizan also forced 10 turnovers in the first 20 minutes to set the tone for the rest of the game. When all was said and done, Partizan had 12 steals and had forced 16 turnovers.
Four Partizan players had a pair of steals: Zach LeDay, Danilo Andjusic, Mathias Lessort and Uros Trifunovic. In the final minute of the contest, Trifunovic stole the ball from Nemanja Nedovic in a momentum-swinging play.
On the other side, 10 different Zvezda players had at least 1 turnover. Meanwhile, Partizan turned the ball over just 7 times, and Zvezda managed to record just 3 steals.
"When you see it, it is unbelievable this was the final score," said Obradovic, showing his surprise that his team only won by a single point, despite such an advantage with steals and turnovers.