This Is Exactly Why He Was Signed

Just as he did in the opening round against Olimpia Milano, Carlik Jones poured in 20 points to lead Partizan in scoring once again. Should he replicate that form against Bayern in a few days, he will firmly be in the MVP conversation. Yet, a massive share of the credit for the 92-79 victory over Paris belongs to Luca Vildoza.

The former Crvena Zvezda guard chipped in with 16 points (shooting 6-of-7 inside the arc and 1-of-2 from deep) while racking up six steals, playing a decisive role during the game's critical stretches. Most of Vildoza's offense stemmed directly from active defense, disrupted passing lanes, and fast-break transition—the clearest testament to the relentless hustle he displayed on the court.

One of the game's turning points arrived late in the third quarter. Partizan's defensive rotations broke down, and Paris seemed set for a wide-open three-pointer after crisp ball movement. Almost.

Despite starting from beneath the rim, Vildoza sprinted out to the arc just in time, intercepted the pass, and raced away for an uncontested layup to push the lead to seven—Partizan's largest cushion to that point. Although Paris responded with a three to trim the deficit to four, Vildoza's defensive play set the tone: Paris was on the ropes, and as long as the black-and-whites maintained that defensive intensity, they were leaving the French capital with the win.

Vildoza produced another decisive sequence midway through the fourth quarter, scoring four straight points to extend the margin to 13. In the process, he collected his sixth steal of the night, setting a new career high.

A two-game sample size may be small, but Vildoza is delivering precisely what he was recruited for: anchoring the perimeter defense, harassing opposing playmakers (doing a stellar job containing Nadir Hifi), injecting spark off the bench, and contributing scoring without dominating touches. Against Paris, he operated with minimal isolation yet still racked up 16 points.

He looks motivated—perhaps eager to prove that Panathinaikos and Olympiacos wrote him off too easily—physically primed, and already in complete sync with Carlik Jones and coach Joan Peñarroya.

If he keeps this up, he will prove to be a massive acquisition for the black-and-whites.

VIDEO: What a performance by Vildoza!