Partizan Escapes Relegation Battle with Commanding Win Over Baskonia

Survival Mode at Belgrade Arena

With postseason hopes long extinguished, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade and Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz entered this Round 38 clash fighting for dignity in the lower half of the standings. The hosts, sitting 16th at 14-22, desperately needed a win to avoid finishing the campaign in the relegation conversation, while Baskonia—trapped at 13-23 in 17th place—faced the prospect of matching their worst road record in franchise history. For Partizan, a victory would cement their home fortress (10-8 at Belgrade Arena) and potentially leapfrog Paris Basketball in the final table; for the visitors, another away defeat would confirm a dismal 2-16 mark on foreign courts, a collapse that has defined their season.

Jekiri's Free-Throw Clinic Seals the Verdict

From the opening tip, Partizan asserted control, and by the final buzzer, Tonye Jekiri had authored a masterclass in efficiency: 16 points on a perfect 4-of-4 from two-point range, complemented by 8-of-10 from the charity stripe. His ability to draw fouls and convert under pressure gave the hosts a 91-79 cushion, weathering a valiant 20-point effort from Baskonia's Mamadi Diakite. The Serbian side outscored the visitors in every quarter, turning a 26-20 first-period lead into a wire-to-wire triumph that never saw Baskonia tie or lead after the opening minutes.

Balanced Attack Overwhelms Baskonia's Defense

Partizan's victory was rooted in relentless ball movement and second-chance dominance. Carlik Jones orchestrated the offense with 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Sterling Brown added 13 points on efficient mid-range shooting. The home side converted offensive rebounds into 15 second-chance points, exploiting Baskonia's inability to secure defensive glass—Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot's 7 boards weren't enough to stem the tide. Meanwhile, Baskonia's backcourt struggled to create consistent looks: Kobi Simmons managed just 11 points on 4-of-5 two-point shooting but was plagued by 2 turnovers, and the visitors shot a frigid 30% from beyond the arc (7-of-23), leaving them starved for the explosive runs needed to claw back.

Fourth-Quarter Barrage Slams the Door

The decisive stretch arrived with three minutes left in the final period. Trailing 79-70 after Clement Frisch converted a layup for Baskonia, Partizan unleashed a suffocating defensive sequence that forced three consecutive missed attempts from deep. Dylan Osetkowski punctuated the run with a corner three-pointer at the 49-second mark—his second trey of the night—extending the lead to 91-77. The visitors' perimeter-oriented attack had stalled; Diakite's earlier three-point spree (3-of-6 from range) couldn't mask the collective collapse, as Eugene Omoruyi and Rodions Kurucs combined to shoot 1-of-10 from distance in crunch time. Partizan's ability to close possessions with defensive rebounds—Nick Calathes snatched a critical board in the final minute—turned Baskonia's desperation into futility.

Diverging Paths to the Offseason

The win propels Partizan to 15-22, securing them a finish no lower than 16th and providing a sliver of momentum heading into the summer rebuild. Their home-court resilience (10-8) suggests a foundation to build upon, though their 5-14 road record remains a glaring weakness. For Baskonia, the loss cements a catastrophic 13-24 campaign, including a franchise-worst 2-16 away mark that has left them marooned in 17th place. With one game remaining, the visitors face the grim reality of a bottom-three finish, a precipitous fall from their 11-8 home form that hints at systemic issues beyond talent. As the EuroLeague table crystallizes, Partizan can exhale, knowing they avoided the indignity of a bottom-two placement; Baskonia, meanwhile, must confront a summer of wholesale changes.