Olympiacos Piraeus overcame adversity and illness to secure an 80-71 home win over Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade on Friday night, extending the Serbian side’s losing streak to four games.
Despite pregame concerns about Nikola Milutinov and Evan Fournier, both returned to action, with Milutinov proving decisive in the closing minutes. The center finished with 8 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, a block, and a steal in 21 minutes, delivering crucial plays that sealed Olympiacos’ sixth win of the season.
Partizan held control through most of the middle quarters, dominating inside the paint and converting 59.1% of its two-point attempts. The visitors limited Olympiacos to just 15 points in the third quarter and led 58-53 entering the final period.
The turning point came with just over three minutes left, when Milutinov checked back in with the score at 66-68. His immediate impact on both ends swung momentum back to the home team. The Serbian big forced Shake Milton into a turnover, then assisted Thomas Walkup on a three-pointer that put Olympiacos ahead.
Partizan’s Sterling Brown briefly tied it with a triple, but Milutinov responded with two clutch free throws to level the game at 71-71. Moments later, Shaquielle McKissic’s steal and fast-break dunk ignited the Peace and Friendship Stadium, setting the tone for Olympiacos’ closing run.
Milutinov capped his performance with a block, a rebound, and a steal in the final minute, drawing loud chants of his name from the crowd.
Head coach Georgios Bartzokas’ squad improved to 6-3, while Zeljko Obradovic’s Partizan fell to 3-6. Walkup led Olympiacos with 15 points, Sasha Vezenkov added 14, and Tyler Dorsey had 11. For Partizan, Darius Washington scored a team-high 20 points, while Tyrique Jones contributed 17.
Milutinov, who re-signed with Olympiacos over the summer following Moustapha Fall’s season-ending injury, continues to be a dominant force in the 2025–26 campaign. He currently averages 11.4 points and a EuroLeague-best 8.4 rebounds per game, leading all players in offensive boards with 29 through nine contests.
Olympiacos now prepares for a double-round week, hosting Zalgiris Kaunas next Wednesday before traveling to face EA7 Emporio Armani Milan on Friday. Partizan will try to regroup at home against AS Monaco before visiting ASVEL to close out the week.
