Sunday Night Basketball in Belgrade: Partizan Aim to Lift Spirits vs. SC Derby
AdmiralBet ABA league action returns to Belgrade Arena as Partizan Mozzart Bet welcome SC Derby in a Round 8 clash that carries importance for both teams, but for very different reasons.
Uros Mijailovic (Photo: ABA League j.t.d./Dragana Stjepanovic)
2025/26 AdmiralBet ABA League Group A Round 8, Sunday, 23 November 2025:
PARTIZAN MOZZART BET - SC DERBY
Where? Belgrade Arena, Belgrade
When? 20:00
Story of the Game: AdmiralBet ABA league action returns to Belgrade Arena as Partizan Mozzart Bet welcome SC Derby in a Round 8 clash that carries importance for both teams, but for very different reasons. The home side want to steady the ship after a rough EuroLeague week, while the visitors are eager to show resilience after back-to-back ABA League defeats.
Partizan Mozzart Bet enter this matchup with a strong 4-1 record in the AdmiralBet ABA League, showing stability and quality on the domestic front. However, some painful EuroLeague defeats have shaken the atmosphere around the team. The black-and-white side struggled to maintain consistency in recent continental outings, and this game comes at the perfect time to reset the energy, rebuild confidence and show their fans that the fire is still burning strong.
On the other side, SC Derby arrive in Belgrade with a 2-5 record and in search of stability. The Podgorica team has dropped its last two AdmiralBet ABA League games, including a tough home defeat against U-BT Cluj-Napoca, where they struggled to keep pace on both ends of the floor.
The road game in the Belgrade Arena is certainly not an ideal opportunity to break the negative streak, but it is a chance to show reaction, character, and progress. Even small improvements could signal better days ahead for the young, energetic squad.
Match-up in Focus: Miikka Muurinen (Partizan Mozzart Bet) vs. Aleksa Ilić (SC Derby).
Partizan’s Finnish prospect Miikka Muurinen continues to earn valuable minutes in the AdmiralBet ABA League. His mobility, athleticism and defensive instincts make him an intriguing part of Obradović’s rotation, and fans are still waiting to see his full potential unleashed in a competitive high-level matchup.
Facing him is one of the league’s standout performers this season - Aleksa Ilić, SC Derby’s unquestioned leader so far. Averaging the highest index rating in the entire league (24), Ilić has been Derby’s engine on both ends: scoring at a high level, rebounding with authority and anchoring the defense.
Head-to-Head Score in ABA: In total 10:1; In Belgrade 5:1.
