Match Preview
There were a lot of controversies surrounding Partizan in the off-season, but judging by the early days, Joan Penarroya has managed to build chemistry and lift confidence. Will the Black and Whites justify the role of favorites against Mega Basket on Monday?
Partizan Making a Perfect EuroLeague Start
Even though they lost a couple of big players earlier this summer, Partizan entered the new EuroLeague campaign in the best way possible and are regarded as the biggest surprise package after winning all three games so far.
The Black and Whites played with a lot of energy and outplayed Milano 92-76 in front of the home crowd in the season premiere. Carlik Jones was named MVP of the entire round after scoring 20 points and registering 10 assists and four rebounds.
Joan Penarroya's side forced 21 turnovers against Paris on Tuesday, which ultimately led to a 92-79 victory in France, while they staged a big comeback against Bayern on Thursday in Germany, taking an 86-84 victory. Tonye Jekiri played a key role here with 17 points and 7/10 FG shooting.
Mega Basket Yet to Play a Competitive Game
This is going to be the first competitive match for Mega Basket in the new season. They didn't do much in the previous ABA League campaign, finishing in 11th place with a 12-14 record.
The Serbian Superleague didn't bring them any success either, losing twice to FMP Zeleznik 80-77 and 99-95 to get eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Mega Basket played two pre-season test games, the first one being an 84-81 loss against Michigan University, while also losing to Spanish top-tier members Breogan 99-90 in early September.