Crvena Zvezda basketball players defeated Virtus Bologna in Bologna in the 14th round of the Euroleague with a score of 94:87.
The Serbian team did not have the support of their fans in the “Segafredo Arena” to the extent that they would otherwise have due to the ban on the arrival of fans, but despite this, a hundred or so people managed to get into the hall. Janis Sferopoulos led the match from the bench despite health problems, while Duško Ivanović, as the new strategist of the Italian team, was forced to watch his assistant Nenad Jakovljević in the role he would normally perform.
The clash started exceptionally efficiently, and after only three minutes, we saw eighteen points and Virtus’ lead of 11:7. At that moment, Filip Petrušev kept Zvezda alive, and at 11:9, he already had six points scored.
On the other hand, it was clear that everything would revolve around Will Clyburn, but as is usually the case with a team that is last in the table, the threads of the game were not quite in place and the Italians made a large number of mistakes.
The attack slowed down by the end of the first quarter, and after points by Cordini and Diuf, Virtus secured a lead at the end of the quarter, but it was not convincing as Kodi Miller-McIntyre hit a three-pointer at the buzzer for minus one (19:18).
Crveno-beli made a comeback and a total series of ten to zero towards the end of the quarter, and in the final minutes of the first quarter, Luka Mitrović “unleashed himself”. The player who grew into a hero at that moment was the leader of the comeback and from the moment when there was a plus five for the guests, Virtus was unable to return. At least not until the break.
CMM BEATS THE Q1 BUZZER! ✅@CMMPatience with his trademark buzzer-beating jumper in Bologna to close the first period!#MotorolaMagicMoments | @Moto pic.twitter.com/RJn8gbGCsu
— Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) December 6, 2024
Kenan soon joined the duel, finally started hitting shots from distance, and by halftime, we saw the difference drop to two points, but also returned to six after baskets by Kenan and Petrušev.
The third quarter also started fantastically for Zvezda, Dobrić brought a plus eight, and Mitrović with two missed free throws missed the opportunity to bring a double-digit difference. When Dobrić also missed an open three-pointer, the Bologna team started a series.
A plus of four points was maintained for some time, until the middle of the quarter, and then there was a flash. With a 13:0 series in three minutes before the end of the quarter, the scoreboard showed a plus seven for the hosts (59:52).
Clyburn, Pajola, Diuf, and Cordinije shone at those moments, and Zvezda at least managed to control the minus at the end of the third ten minutes. Admittedly, the defense completely collapsed and as many as 25 points conceded contribute to that, and most of them came from under the basket. Luckily, Virtus missed open shots. Before entering the final quarter, it was 63:57.
Zvezda had a good rhythm at the beginning of this part of the match and quickly got to minus two after Kenan’s three-pointer, but it was all wasted after a foul for Šengelia, before that, for Belinelli. Virtus maintained at least two possessions more at that moment.
At one point, Virtus even got to a ten-point lead, it was 75:65, however, in 20 seconds, Mitrović and his teammates reduced the minus to five.
Little by little, Zvezda continued to “peck” at the difference and in the end, relatively quickly, returned to the match completely, and after Kenan’s three-pointer, the team equalized at 80:80. That was just a prelude to what we saw in the heart-stopping drama.
Šengelija returned the plus two, and then Petrušev with a three-pointer gave Zvezda the lead after a long time. We watched an equal game for a short time, Mitrović and Kalinić with a crucial three-pointer soon completely reversed the course of events, it was 88:85 for the Serbian team, and when after the opponent’s miss Petrušev and Kenan hit the free throws, it was clear that everything was over!
Ajzea Kenan finished the match with 26 points, while Luka Mitrović played the game of his season with 21 and six rebounds. Filip Petrušev also shone with 20 and eight rebounds. Tornike Shengelia scored 25 on the other side, while Will Clyburn scored 19 with 12 rebounds.
After this match, Zvezda has a score of 7-7, while Virtus is on a score of 2-12.
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Source: Telegraf.rs, Photo: MN press