SPARTAK VS PARTIZAN Under 48 hours after the derby, Black-and-Whites visit the Serbian champions!
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- Ostoja Mijailovic addressed the Jabari Parker situation ahead of the Subotica clash
- Carlik Jones came close to EuroLeague MVP honors
Spartak vs Partizan (Tip-off at 20:30 CET)
Match Preview
Partizan had little time to celebrate their victory over Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet in the season's first Eternal Derby in the EuroLeague, as they return to action this Saturday in northern Serbia. The Black-and-Whites visit Spartak in Subotica for Round 5 of ABA League Group B.
Partizan boast a perfect 3-0 record in regional competition so far, while Spartak enter the clash at 2-1.
Penarroya: We will try to utilize all our players
Ahead of the upcoming challenge, Partizan head coach Joan Penarroya stated:
It certainly won't be an easy game, and I expect a demanding away fixture against Spartak. Naturally, the team is fatigued after the clash with Crvena Zvezda, so we must rest as much as possible and prepare for the duel. We will look to utilize all our players to stay competitive, and if we want to secure the win, we'll need to play with real toughness. Joan Penarroya
Partizan player Ethan Thompson also shared his thoughts ahead of the road trip to northern Serbia.
"We have to keep working on ourselves and take things one day at a time. We cannot get ahead of ourselves, but we can't let our heads drop either—we just need to keep building on this," Thompson said.
Jovanovic: We face our highest-quality opponent yet
Vladimir Jovanovic, head coach of Spartak—a side that traditionally puts up strong performances against the Eternal Rivals—emphasized:
We are facing without question our highest-quality opponent to date, one of the three EuroLeague sides in the ABA League. Regardless of roster changes, they have established themselves as a formidable EuroLeague-level defensive unit. Across their first three league wins, they averaged 13 steals per game, controlled the defensive glass, and possessed great size across the floor while playing high-level defense. Their roles are very well-defined, and they rely heavily on the outstanding playmaking of Carlik Jones, who acts as the floor general surrounded by capable offensive weapons and tenacious defenders. We've just come out of a congested schedule playing two games a week, which gave us crucial time to rest and recover from minor knocks sustained over the past few weeks. Tactical preparation for a EuroLeague-caliber squad like Partizan is always demanding, but my job on the motivational and mental side is much easier. We know who we're up against, and I'm confident our players will be fully motivated, both by the opponent and the home crowd. Vladimir Jovanovic
What's next for Partizan after Subotica?
Partizan will head straight back to Belgrade following the match against Spartak, preparing for a demanding EuroLeague double-round week on the road.
First, the Black-and-Whites travel to Villeurbanne to face ASVEL in Round 8 on Wednesday, October 28, before taking on Zalgiris in Kaunas just 48 hours later on October 30.
Where to watch Spartak vs Partizan
Live coverage of the ABA League Round 5 match between Partizan and Spartak will be broadcast on Arena Premium 1.
You can also follow the live text commentary on Sportal's blog.
ABA League Standings
Video: Black-and-Whites steal and a monstrous slam by Stephens!
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