With fan support booming in Munich, Partizan overcomes adversity and gives Coach Penarroya his first EuroLeague victory
Payne ignites Partizan in Munich as Calathes steers team out of 7 game slide
Izveštaji utakmica
3 Min čitanja
Regular Season
Round 23 of 38
Regular Season
FC Bayern MunichBAY
6367
Partizan Mozzart Bet BelgradePAR
Overview
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Short‑handed, stung by a 38‑point defeat just days earlier, and riding a seven‑game losing streak, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade marched into Munich and found exactly what it had been missing: resistance and resolve. In a 67-63 road win over FC Bayern Munich at SAP Garden, Partizan rediscovered its defensive bite.
The visitors were anything but alone; thousands of traveling supporters — and members of the local Serbian community — turned the arena into a black‑and‑white chorus that lifted the team during its most disciplined showing of the season.
Partizan did it the hard way, and with a patchwork rotation. Missing Carlik Jones, Shake Milton, Jabari Parker, Vanja Marinkovic, and Duane Washington, the visitors leaned on an unlikely pairing to carry the night: a EuroLeague newcomer and one of the competition’s most decorated veterans. In just his sixth game in the league, Cameron Payne delivered a career‑high 16 points along with 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals, repeatedly producing answers when Bayern threatened. Nick Calathes supplied the poise, tempo control, and timely stops that steadied Partizan through every momentum swing.
"We were a few men down today, so we had to stick together, play together and just find a way to win. So shout out to all the guys. It wasn't just me," Payne said. "Tonight we played together and we didn't quit. We stayed together as a team. We fought through adversity and we just found a way to win."
From the opening tip, the defensive course correction was unmistakable. Four days after conceding 104 points to Olympiacos Piraeus, Partizan held Bayern scoreless for more than 5 minutes in the first quarter. After a 5–3 start, triples by Payne, Dylan Osetkowski, and Sterling Brown fueled a 0-15 avalanche that flipped the game’s tone and stake; after 10 minutes, the visitors led 7-18, having forced hurried shots and 5 turnovers in a near‑perfect defensive frame.
Bayern regrouped in the second quarter. With Andreas Obst sidelined by flu‑like symptoms, Justinian Jessup stepped forward for 8 points, trimming the deficit to 30–34 by halftime. Partizan’s offense stuttered inside the arc (4‑for‑12 on twos), but its perimeter precision (8‑for‑14, 57.1% from three) kept Coach Joan Penarroya’s team in front.
After the break, Bayern briefly slipped ahead, but Partizan’s composure held through Calathes’s fingerprints on every crucial sequence — a deflection here, a defensive rebound there, a perfectly timed feed to settle the half‑court. His line — 8 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals — reflected the all‑around influence that kept Bayern chasing rather than dictating.
Xavier Rathan‑Mayes dragged Bayern level once more at 56–56, but the final act belonged to Partizan’s closers. Payne answered with an acrobatic three‑point play, Isaac Bonga sliced in for a bucket for a 56-61 cushion, and the duo then sparked a decisive burst that stretched the gap to 58-67 inside the final minute — the separation Partizan had been hunting all night.
Down the stretch, the visitors defended with clarity and bite. In the fourth quarter, Partizan surrendered just 13 points, holding Bayern to 2-of-8 on two‑pointers and 1-of-10 from deep — a stark, satisfying contrast to the open looks conceded in recent weeks.
"I think we played a solid game. We had problems with our turnovers, but I think we played consistent defense, controlled the pace and I think we deserve to win the game," Penarroya said. "I am happy because I think the players understand the kind of game we needed to play today for a win, and at the end we achieved an important victory."
The victory halts Partizan’s longest losing streak since 2012 and marks a milestone for Penarroya — his first EuroLeague win since taking charge. The team remains in Munich for a designated home date against Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv on Friday, while Bayern hosts Valencia Basket at SAP Garden on Thursday.
