Partizan dares to dream after Punter's heroics
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade headed into the 2023 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs as the underdog against the competition’s record 10-time winner Real Madrid, but the Serbian team tore up the script in Game 1 of their best-of-five series – just like the last time it reached the postseason.
That was in 2010, when Partizan defeated Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in Game 1 with a 77-85 road victory before going on to win the series 3-1, thus reaching the Final Four in Paris. Having beaten Real 87-89 on Tuesday, Partizan must surely be dreaming of a déjà vu situation after its team captain, Kevin Punter, forced the final twist when he sank a breathtaking three-pointer with only 0.4 seconds left on the clock.
It was easily the best performance of Punter’s career, as he set a flurry of personal playoff records in what could turn out to be a pivotal win in Partizan’s quest to emulate its 2010 accomplishment. He scored a game-high 26 points, shattering his previous record of 20, while he also dished 6 assists and nailed 5 three-pointers as he carried his team to victory against more heralded opposition.
The see-saw game, which saw the lead change hands throughout, was also a rollercoaster for Punter, too, as a quiet first quarter made way for an explosive second, with the livewire guard finishing the first half on 15 points. He was largely invisible in the third quarter, having spent much of it on the bench, but then he took over in the fourth and got his reward with a game-winning shot, which must have felt like a dagger in the hearts of Real’s players and fans.
While the home crowd left the gym in a hurry, the boisterous away fans who made the trip to Madrid danced in delight – as did the players on the court – but Punter remained as humble as ever, having stressed that Partizan could ill-afford to rest on laurels.
“It’s a big playoff win on the road, but this is only Game 1,” the 29-year-old said in a flash post-game interview. When asked if he expected to be in a position to force the final twist in the dying seconds, he said: “We just wanted to switch. I knew that if we could switch, I could just milk it down and hit my spot.” Commenting on quiet spells in the game, Punter stressed: “I had to stay the course. We have some amazing players and I just wanted to stay focused, get open looks and defensive stops.”
The American forward, who also played for Partizan’s bitter city rival Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in 2019-2020, won his personal battle against Real forward Gabriel Deck, who would have been a worthy man of the game had Punter not enabled the visitors to have the last laugh.
Deck led Real with 24 points, and it looked like he had done enough to protect his team’s home-court advantage. The Argentine completed a three-point play on Real’s last possession, having drawn a foul while sinking a tough floater. He then buried the free throw to give Real an 87-86 lead, before Punter delivered the knockout blow, sending his teammates into raptures.
The ever-demanding head coach, Zeljko Obradovic, who won the first of his record nine EuroLeague titles with five different clubs during his maiden spell at Partizan in 1992, struck a note of caution ahead of Game 2 on Thursday.
“That’s the beauty of basketball,” Obradovic told reporters after the game. “[Real] had a three-point play, then we gave the ball to Kevin [Punter] and he clinched it with a three-point shot. However, there will be no complacency. That’s the worst thing we can do – and it’s the first thing I told the players in the locker room.”
Game 2 takes place on Thursday night, back at WiZink Center once again, but this victory is a huge boost for Partizan as it attempts to reach May's Final Four. Coach Obradovic wants the Partizan players to keep their feet on the ground, but for the club's fans, they have every right to start to dream – and they have Punter to thank.
Game Videos
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Real Madrid-Olympiacos Piraeus | Playoffs Game 4 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:18
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Hezonja monster block! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:25
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Fernando rocks the rim! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:24
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Fernando dunks in transition! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:27
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Dzanan Musa: 'We have the formula of how we want to play'
- 00:52
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Walter Tavares: 'The playoffs are about defense, not offense'
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Real Madrid-Olympiacos Piraeus | Playoffs Game 3 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:18
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Ibaka rejects McKissic! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
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Olympiacos Piraeus-Real Madrid | PO Game 2 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:22
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Deck ends first quarter in style! Motorola Magic Moment
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Olympiacos Piraeus-Real Madrid | PO Game-1 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 01:36
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Mario Hezonja: 'We can do great things'
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Real Madrid-FC Bayern Munich | Play-In Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:12
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Campazzo’s creative magic! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:12
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Real teamwork from Madrid! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:12
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Kharchenkov’s flying slam! Motorola Magic Moment
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Walter Tavares, March-April MVP: ‘It’s hard these days to be a big man’
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Real Madrid-Paris Basketball | Play-In Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:13
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Tavares dunks in transition! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:52
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Walter Tavares: 'This is a gift from God'
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Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade-Real Madrid | RS Round 34 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:46
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Tavares wins it with his soft touch! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
- 00:09
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Hezonja rocks the rim with aplomb! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:18
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Monster dunk by Koprivica! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:17
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A huge dunk by Tavares! Motorola Magic Moment
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On This Day: When Kevin Punter sent Partizan to the playoffs
- 01:32
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Mario Hezonja: 'Every time there is a challenge, we respond'
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Real Madrid-Paris Basketball | RS Round 33 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:17
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Hezonja's reverse dunk! Motorola Magic Moment of the Night
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Zalgiris Kaunas-Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade | RS Round 33 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:16
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Ibaka's double block! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:16
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Jones with a spectacular move! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:10
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Pokusevski with a sublime alley oop! Motorola Magic Moment
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Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade-Real Madrid | RS Round 32 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:10
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Hezonja with an almighty dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
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FC Bayern Munich-Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade | RS Round 32 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:26
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Tyrique Jones with a hoodie dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:09
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The Jones duo does it again! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:25
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Carlik Jones: 'It's been a tough three games for us'
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/fc094d7c-287c-442a-97e9-52ec4317f26c.jpg]()
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade-ALBA Berlin | RS Round 31 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
![https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/4fe086ef-7ba3-4997-9f3f-9ffeeb4b986c.jpg]()
Real Madrid-EA7 Emporio Armani Milan | RS Round 31 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:10
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Hezonja with the reverse slam! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:35
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Llull does what he does best! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:15
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Davies charges away and dunks! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:14
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Tyrique Jones with a big dunk! Motorola Magic Moment
- 00:13
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Facu magic! Motorola Magic Moment
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On This Day: When Dusan Kecman hit 7 threes in Game 1 of the playoffs
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Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade-Anadolu Efes Istanbul | RS Round 30 Highlights | 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague
- 00:11
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A vicious windmill dunk by Jones! Motorola Magic Moment
- 01:05
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Walter Tavares: 'Real Madrid means winning'
