Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade pulled off one of the most dramatic comebacks in EuroLeague history on Friday, January 23, erasing a 27-point deficit to beat Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv 104-101 in overtime at BMW Park in Munich.
The win took the Serbian side to 8–16, while Hapoel dropped to 16–7, but remained at the top of the standings in terms of percentage, level with wins with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and narrowly ahead of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
For more than two quarters, the game followed a one-sided script. The Israeli leaders dominated the paint through Dan Oturu and Johnathan Motley, while Vasilije Micic and Chris Jones controlled the pace and pushed the margin to 64-37 midway through the third quarter.
Partizan’s revival started with a defensive shift and unexpected contributions from the bench. Arijan Lakic sparked the comeback with relentless energy, finishing with EuroLeague career highs of 15 points and eight rebounds for a performance index of 24.
Cam Payne led the scoring for the Belgrade club with 19 points, while Sterling Brown added 13, eight of which came in extra time after struggling earlier. Bruno Fernando recorded 14 points and seven rebounds, anchoring the interior during the decisive stretch.
The comeback culminated in the final seconds of regulation. With the score tied at 88-88, Fernando blocked a Chris Jones layup with 0.1 seconds left, a move that initially ruled as goalkeeper before being overturned after a video review.
In extra time, Partizan kept their composure despite head coach Joan Penarroya being sent off for a second technical foul. The Serbian side built a 97-92 cushion and withstood Hapoel’s final attempt to seal the result.
Oturu led Hapoel with 24 points, while Micic scored 19 and Jones added 16 points. Antonio Blakeney contributed 13 points, but the Israeli club was undone by 17 turnovers and a rebounding 37-32 deficit.
Partizan travel to EA7 Emporio Armani Milan next Thursday, while Hapoel host FC Bayern Munich on the same evening.
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