After that meeting with Real, Efes (13-14) then welcomes another dangerous offensive opponent with a visit from Partizan (15-13), which is one of four teams currently tied for sixth place and looking to consolidate its position in the top eight by taking a big road win from Thursday's opening tip. The Serbian team can also seal the potentially valuable head-to-head advantage after having won December's meeting between the teams 82-79, powered by 18 points apiece by dynamic guard duo Dante Exum and Kevin Punter.
Game Notes: Efes vs. Partizan
Efes leads 7-6 in EuroLeague games against Partizan this century. Their Round 14 game was the first time they played in more than a decade, and Partizan pulled out an 82-79 win with Dante Exum scoring 18 points.
Efes big man Bryant Dunston was a teammate of Partizan forward Ioannis Papapetrou at Olympiacos Piraeus from 2013 to 2015. They reached the EuroLeague championship game together in 2015.
Partizan's James Nunnally and Efes's Egehan Arna were teammates at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, playing under current Partizan head coach Zeljko Obradovic, for two seasons, from 2016 to 2018. They won the 2017 EuroLeague together.
Nunnally and Efes center Ante Zizic were teammates at Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv last season. Partizan center Mathias Lessort was also their teammate for the first part of the season.
Partizan guards Danilo Andjusic and Uros Trifunovic and Efes playmaker Vasilije Micic have been teammates on the Serbian national team.
Partizan center Mathias Lessort and Efes forward Amath M'Baye have been teammates on the French national team; together they won the bronze medal at the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
Efes guard Rodrigue Beaubois scored 30 points in a loss against Partizan earlier this season, a career-high entering this week.
Efes center Ante Zizic posted his career-high PIR of 33 in a Round 14 loss against Partizan, a career-high entering this week.
Partizan swingman James Nunnally dished a career-high 7 assists in a win over Efes in Round 14.