Obradovic on Partizan: Game Not Most Important for Me
Panathinaikos coach after the 84-59 win in Patras on Tuesday in Belgrade: the team matters, and defense was better than offense. Partizan hosts Panathinaikos on October 13.
Panathinaikos has just beaten Promitheas 84-59 in Patras, and Zeljko Obradovic was already talking about Tuesday and Belgrade in his post-game remarks. It will be his first meeting with Partizan since he resigned last December.
Partizan hosts Panathinaikos on Tuesday, October 13, at 8:30 p.m., in round five of the EuroLeague. Obradovic said that this game is not his top priority personally, and the Greek paper Gazeta carried his words:
“Personally, the game against Partizan is not the most important one for me, it is important for the team. That is why we will try to prepare in the best possible way”
So ahead of the trip to Belgrade, the Panathinaikos coach frames it around the team, not around his own return.
What did Obradovic say about Panathinaikos’ play?
About the game in Patras itself, he said the team was satisfied with its defense and less so with its offense. He addressed the players’ workload, then the gap between defense and offense:
“Tonight we played a serious number of minutes. In defense we were at the level we needed, and in offense not so much, but congratulations to the team”
By his assessment, the offense stayed below the level of the defense.
How did Panathinaikos get to Belgrade?
The win over Promitheas was a second-round game of the Greek league and Panathinaikos’ sixth win in seven games this season. Nigel Hayes-Davis and Sylvain Francisco were the top scorers for the Athenians, each with 12 points. For the hosts from Patras, Kendall Coleman stood out with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Adonis Arms added 10 points.
In the EuroLeague the picture is different from the one in the Greek league. Panathinaikos has four wins at the OAKA arena this season, and Belgrade is its first road game in the competition.
What can Partizan expect from Lessort?
Alongside Obradovic, attention in this game is shared by Mathias Lessort, a former Partizan player. The French center was named the most valuable player of EuroLeague round four, after Panathinaikos beat Fenerbahce 92-74.
In 23 minutes he recorded 19 points and eight rebounds, shooting 6 of 9 on two-pointers and 7 of 10 from the free-throw line, with a performance index rating of 30. He added an assist, a block and a steal, drew six fouls, and committed none himself.
Moses Wright (32) and Chris Duarte (31) had a better rating than his, but their teams, Olimpija and Baskonia, lost to Maccabi and Besiktas. Among players from winning teams, the closest to Lessort was Wendell Moore with a rating of 28, in Virtus’ win over Bayern in Munich, where he had 20 points, nine rebounds and three steals.
Lessort is averaging 13.3 points, seven rebounds and 1.5 assists per game this season. The game against Fenerbahce was his best performance since returning after a 15-month absence.
When is the game?
Partizan and Panathinaikos play on Tuesday, October 13, with a 8:30 p.m. start. For Lessort it will be a return to the Belgrade Arena, and for Obradovic the first meeting with Partizan since his resignation in December.
