Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade produced one of the most dramatic comebacks in EuroLeague history on Friday, January 23, overturning a 27-point deficit to defeat Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv 104–101 in overtime at BMW Park in Munich.
The victory lifted the Serbian side to 8–16, while Hapoel fell to 16–7 but remained top of the standings on percentage, level on 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 tempo, pushing the margin to 64–37 midway through the third quarter.
Partizan’s revival began with a defensive shift and unexpected contributions from the bench. Arijan Lakic ignited the comeback with relentless energy, finishing with EuroLeague career highs of 15 points and eight rebounds for a performance index rating of 24.
Cam Payne led the scoring for the Belgrade club with 19 points, while Sterling Brown added 13, eight of them coming in overtime after struggling earlier. Bruno Fernando posted 14 points and seven rebounds, anchoring the interior during the decisive stretch.
The comeback reached its peak in the closing seconds of regulation. With the score tied at 88–88, Fernando soared to block a Chris Jones layup with 0.1 seconds left, a play initially ruled goaltending before being overturned following video review.
In overtime, Partizan maintained its composure despite head coach Joan Penarroya being ejected for a second technical foul. The Serbian side built a 97–92 cushion and withstood Hapoel’s final push to seal the result.
Oturu led Hapoel with 24 points, while Micic scored 19 and Jones added 16. Antonio Blakeney contributed 13, but the Israeli club was undone by 17 turnovers and a 37–32 rebounding deficit.
Partizan will travel to face EA7 Emporio Armani Milan next Thursday, while Hapoel hosts FC Bayern Munich on the same night.
