Panathinaikos Beat Partizan as Chris Jones Wins It for Crvena Zvezda

The fifth round of the EuroLeague regular season brought contrasting fortunes for Serbia’s two basketball giants.

Greek champions Panathinaikos produced a dominant performance in front of a packed Belgrade Arena, crushing Partizan 72-55.

Meanwhile, Crvena Zvezda snatched a dramatic 84-82 away victory against French side ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne thanks to a last-second basket.

Partizan 55-72 Panathinaikos

Panathinaikos dominated after the interval, breaking Partizan’s resistance with an aggressive defensive display.

The teams were level at 16-16 after the first quarter, but the visitors moved ahead 35-28 by half-time. Partizan’s nightmare came in the third quarter, when the Serbian side managed just eight points compared with Panathinaikos’ 20, leaving the score at 55-36.

Panathinaikos comfortably controlled the final period to secure a 72-55 victory.

Kevarrius Hayes was Partizan’s only player to reach double figures, finishing with 10 points in 21 minutes.

Nigel Hayes-Davis led the way for Panathinaikos with 14 points, while former Partizan centre Mathias Lessort made his presence felt under the basket with nine rebounds and four points.

ASVEL 82-84 Crvena Zvezda: Chris Jones Strikes at the Buzzer

A thrilling finish unfolded at the Astroballe, where Crvena Zvezda snatched victory in the dying seconds.

ASVEL led 46-42 at half-time and held a narrow 67-66 advantage heading into the final quarter. In the closing stages, Jamal Nwora stepped up for the Belgrade side, scoring crucial points to help level the contest at 82-82.

With the game on the line, guard Chris Jones drove through the hosts’ packed defence and scored the winning basket just one second before the final buzzer, sealing an 84-82 victory.

Both teams had standout performers. Bo Gach led ASVEL with 19 points, while Nwora finished with 18 for Crvena Zvezda.

Jones ended the game with eight points and nine assists, but his decisive final play proved to be the difference, securing a valuable second win for the Belgrade club.