Ecstasy After Pajola's Clutch Dagger: Watch the Italian Celebrate the Derby Thriller! /VIDEO/

Pulse Sports Team 16:55 - 23 October 2026

Partizan edged out Crvena Zvezda 85-82 in an overtime thriller during the season's first eternal derby, with Alessandro Pajola emerging as the ultimate hero for the Black-and-Whites.

The Italian had endured a difficult shooting night from beyond the arc, but delivered the game-winner for the Black-and-Whites when it mattered most. Following the final buzzer, cameras captured his partner rushing down from the stands to share a passionate kiss with him on camera, sparking loud cheers from the home supporters.

He then headed into the locker room, with cameras trailing his every move along the way.

The Dagger That Sparked Absolute Bedlam

Partizan secured a crucial victory in Round 7 of the EuroLeague in front of their home crowd.

The hero of the night was Pajola, who buried a clutch eight-meter three-pointer in overtime with just 19 seconds remaining and the scores tied at 82-82.

It was a sensational shot by the Partizan guard, and the club has now shared a stunning new angle on their Instagram profile, capturing just how spectacular the strike was and the raw emotion that erupted right after.

Pajola's Post-Match Reaction

"I feel amazing, really thrilled. We had a tough time toward the end. They had control of the game. It would have been devastating if we had lost. But we showed real character and stepped up in crunch time. We knew they wouldn't back down, but we have to be better and more consistent. We started great but struggled later on. In the end, character and defense won us the game." - Alessandro Pajola

The Italian guard also reflected on what proved to be the decisive factor.

"It was neck and neck, and we really struggled in the second half. This team has huge character and we demonstrated that. We kept fighting even when Zvezda made their run, and we stayed united. We didn't move the ball as well as we should have, but our defense locked in down the stretch to seal the victory."

Tensions in the stands also drew significant attention, particularly after isolated scuffles broke out in the crowd.

"When you're out on the floor and locked into the game, you don't really pay attention to what's happening in the stands. We stayed completely focused on basketball, executed our game plan, and walked away with the win."

The eternal rivals are now locked with identical 4-3 records in Europe's premier competition. Up next, Partizan travel to face ASVEL, while Crvena Zvezda host Maccabi.