GREAT VICTORY FOR ZVEZDA IN MILAN: Armani Taken Down After a Comeback, a Major Step Toward the Playoffs!

Crvena zvezda basketball players defeated Olimpia in Milan 104:96 in the 22nd round of the EuroLeague, taking a big step toward the play-in.

Although Olimpia is considered one of the most uncomfortable opponents for Crvena zvezda, especially in recent years, as they had won seven of the last eight meetings before this game, paradoxically there are few EuroLeague away venues where the red-and-whites are as successful as the city of fashion. Zvezda confirmed that once again and recorded their sixth win in nine visits to Milan.

A great victory, especially since the two teams were level, sharing 10th place. With this win, the red-and-whites avenged their defeat in Belgrade and now gained a certain advantage in the fight at least for the play-in, and perhaps they can even build momentum for a push toward the top six and direct qualification for the playoffs. This is particularly true given the way Zvezda came to victory, after nearly collapsing after three quarters.

Zvezda started the game excellently, taking a 5:0 lead, then 10:4 and 12:5. Then the oscillations began. First, Olimpia went on an 11–0 run in just two minutes and turned it around to 16:12.

The entire first quarter was played in runs. Zvezda responded with a 10–2 run to lead 22:18. Zvezda even had a chance to finish the first quarter more convincingly, but in the end led by only two points, 27:25. Then everything turned around.

With a 7–0 run, the Milan team opened the second quarter and went up 32:27. That was a sign of a complete collapse of Saša Obradović’s team. Olimpia built a double-digit advantage – 46:36. Simply put, the defense was extremely weak, as evidenced by the number of points conceded in the second quarter – 55 points. At halftime, Olimpia led 55:44.

Zvezda started the third quarter very well with four quick points, immediately cutting the deficit to 55:48. Zvezda had momentum at that moment, with a chance to reduce the gap to minus six after additional free throws by Izundu and Nwora. However, they missed the free throws, followed by some poor offensive decisions, all of which was punished by Shields with two three-pointers, and Olimpia went up by 13 – 65:52.

Zvezda had many chances to seriously threaten the Milan team. As much as 100 seconds before the end of the period, they cut the deficit to six points – 73:67. Then they allowed a 9–3 run by the Milan side, and before the final quarter Olimpia held a +12 lead – 82:70.

But Zvezda did not lose heart. They played a furious two and a half minutes at the start of the fourth quarter and with a 9–1 run cut it to 83:79. Then Jared Butler took over, scoring six more points in a row, and six and a half minutes before the end Zvezda took the lead at 85:83.

That was when Olimpia woke up, more precisely Brooks, who responded with a three-pointer. From then on, there were frequent lead changes, but a big moment for Zvezda came four minutes before the end, at 91:91, when Shields committed his fifth personal foul. Zvezda tightened its defense at that moment and scored five straight points to make it 96:91 with two minutes and 17 seconds remaining.

Then, on the fast break, Miller-McIntyre scored for 98:92. However, Marko Gudurić immediately answered with a three-pointer, cutting it to 98:95 a minute and a half before the end. Still, an important basket was scored by Chima Moneke, who corrected Nwora’s missed three-pointer and brought +5 – 100:95 – with one minute left. As Ellis made only one free throw, the path to victory opened for Zvezda. It was sealed when Moneke made both free throws for 102:96 with 22 seconds remaining.

Crvena zvezda will play its next EuroLeague games in a double round next week. On Tuesday, they visit Monaco, and on Friday Virtus in Bologna.