In a game full of storylines, the headline is the return of Coach Zeljko Obradovic to Athens where he led the Greens to 5 EuroLeague crowns.
Obradovic leads Partizan to visit his old stomping grounds
Every game in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague is filled with storylines. Some games jump out at you more than others. And then there is Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens hosting Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, which means Zeljko Obradovic returning to the Greek capital, where he made history.
The King is Back
There is no other way to put it. No other coach in European basketball history has had a bigger impact on a team than Obradovic had in Panathinaikos. In 13 seasons with the club, Obradovic led Panathinaikos to five of its six EuroLeague championships (2000, 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011) plus 11 Greek League and seven Greek Cup crowns for a total of 23 major trophies. What happened after Obradovic left adds to his legacy: Panathinaikos has not even returned to the Final Four since he parted ways with the Greens in 2012. Panathinaikos is determined to change that this season with two-time EuroLeague winner Ergin Ataman as head coach.
Obradovic is the only coach to win the EuroLeague with Panathinaikos and Partizan. Only one player can claim to have done the same: Zeljko Rebraca. Obradovic also made it to the 1988 Final Four as a Partizan player. Fun fact: only four players have made it to the Final Four with both teams: Rebraca, Dejan Tomasevic, Dusan Kecman and Aleks Maric.
Panathinaikos and Partizan have faced each other 15 teams since the competition started in 2000. The Greens have an 8-7 record against Partizan, which won the last three games between them. Earlier this season, Partizan edged Panathinaikos 92-87 in the Serbian capital behind 23 points from Zach LeDay.
Frontcourt: Lessort is the key
One of the biggest keys to this game for Partizan will be stopping Panathinaikos center - and former Partizan star - Mathias Lessort, who has been sensational lately. Lessort claimed Round 21 MVP honors with a strong all-around performance in which he set a career-high with 5 assists and matched his personal best in scoring with 23 by making 9 of 10 two-pointers. He also collected 9 rebounds, 3 steals and 7 drawn fouls en route to a career-high PIR of 42. Lessort played for Coach Obradovic's team in each of the last two seasons and earned 2022-23 All-EuroLeague First Team honors. In Round 11, Lessort had 16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks and a PIR of 17 in a losing effort against Partizan.
Of course, the battle in the paint is not only restricted to stopping Lessort, who is battling a back issue. Panathinaikos, which is expected to be without Olek Balcerowski and possibly Kostas Antetokounmpo, will need 40 minutes of muscle inside against the likes of Bruno Caboclo, Frank Kaminsky and Alen Smailagic, the last of whom knows Lessort better than most after two seasons practicing against him. Former Partizan forward Ioannis Papapetrou is back for the first time since Round 2 to help Panathinaikos alongside Juancho Hernangomez and Dinos Mitoglou. For them, stopping LeDay is the top defensive priority.
Backcourt: a new Partizan lineup
Partizan is facing severe injury problems, as leading scorer Kevin Punter and combo guard Aleksa Avramovic are unavailable. It is the second time that Partizan is without these two players this season. In Round 10, P.J. Dozier and Mateusz Ponitka were Partizan's starting backcourt, with Ognjen Jaramaz playing 18 minutes off the bench. Dozier had a strong all-around game with 21 points, 5 assists, 3 steals and a PIR of 19. Without Punter, James Nunnally and the recently-signed Jaleen Smith should see extended responsibilities on offense.
Dozier and Ponitka face an intriguing matchup against experienced playmaker Kostas Sloukas, Panathinaikos's prime generator. Coach Obradovic knows Sloukas well, as they worked together for five seasons, reaching four Final Fours, three EuroLeague Championship Games and winning a EuroLeague championship together. Nunnally was part of the puzzle for three of those seasons and also lifted the trophy with them in 2017. Even without the injured Luca Vildoza, Coach Ataman has plenty of backcourt resources with explosive scorer Kendrick Nunn, three-point threat Marius Grigonis and combo guard Jerian Grant, last season's BKT EuroCup MVP. How he uses this depth against a short-handed opponent should be critical in this game, too.
A wild atmosphere is guaranteed at OAKA Altion. It would be outstanding in any case, but having Coach Obradovic back in the building is, and will always be, special. Don't forget to tune in a little bit earlier to see the pre-game presentations and the respect Panathinaikos fans have for a club's legend. The game is scheduled to tip at 20:15 CET.