ZVEZDA DEFEATED IN EUROLEAGUE OPENER: Žalgiris wins in the Arena, the Red-and-Whites had a chance to turn it around, but poor defense proved costly! (VIDEO)

Crvena zvezda’s basketball players certainly did not envision such a start to the EuroLeague, as they were defeated by Žalgiris 83:77 in the first round in front of their home fans. The Red-and-Whites have plenty to regret, as their opponents did not exactly shine either, while Ibon Navarro was once again able to see the shortcomings of his team.

This Crvena zvezda game was reminiscent of so many from the past. A lot of everything, but in the end, an absolute dominance of nothing. Simply put, Zvezda changed its roster, changed its coach, sporting director… It changed everything, but to some extent, the situation remained almost the same.

Zvezda was a slight favorite in this game, but Žalgiris also put together a great team. The preseason did not reveal too much, while the Lithuanians had already started their domestic championship. Perhaps that could have been considered a slight advantage for the team from Lithuania, but the game was an interesting one.

Žalgiris noticed what all the fans had seen as well, namely Zvezda’s problem at the center positions. This had persisted throughout the entire preseason, and Mažisulis and his players managed to exploit it ruthlessly. Jonas Valančiūnas toyed with Zvezda’s defense in the first quarter, as did Williams-Goss, who constantly played pick-and-rolls with him.

In this way, Valančiūnas scored 11 points in the first 10 minutes, exposing the weaknesses of Crvena zvezda that had been “suspected” throughout the summer, as there simply was no center capable of performing well defensively.

Johnathan Motley had long been sought by Zvezda, with the Red-and-Whites pursuing him for a long time before finally signing him, but he was the team’s weakest player. Simply put, Motley could not find his rhythm either offensively or defensively. If one player were to be blamed for this defeat, it would certainly be Johnathan Motley, who did everything wrong. In the end, he also committed five naive fouls and fouled out. Perhaps everything would have been different had that happened even earlier…

Just how poor Johnathan Motley was is also shown by the fact that he finished the game with a minus-13 rating.

We missed this celebration 🤩#kkcz #WeAreTheTeam pic.twitter.com/br9wibk294

— KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) September 24, 2026

Motley was not the only player who showed that he needs time. Other Zvezda players will also need plenty of time to acclimatize, as well as to adjust to their respective roles within the Red-and-Whites’ team.

Zvezda had many opportunities in this game. Žalgiris played well at times, but whenever Ibon Navarro took Motley out of the game, Zvezda managed to close the gap. Žalgiris gave Zvezda chances, especially during the third and fourth quarters, but Zvezda simply could not turn the game around.

The absence of Chris Jones was also noticeable, as the team’s playmaking suffered whenever he left the court, while Jared Butler focused more on one-on-one play than creating for others. Zvezda may also need to adjust to life without Cody Miller-McIntyre, who was always focused on what was best for the team.

Still, it is only the first round, but Zvezda’s problems have been evident to everyone since the preseason, while everything became even clearer after these 40 minutes of basketball in Belgrade Arena.

Zvezda started well, as Chris Jones was highly motivated and ready to play. He pulled up twice on the first two possessions and hit two mid-range shots, but Žalgiris was also ready. Carsen Edwards hit a very difficult three-pointer to give his team the lead, but it was clear that Johnathan Motley was struggling. Chris Jones continued his performance, scoring in bunches.

Jones keeps his eyes up and smoothly finds Nwora 👀🎯 pic.twitter.com/G2cgqJ2gcH

— KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) September 24, 2026

Carsen Edwards hit another difficult three-pointer and was also in rhythm at the start of the game. Johnathan Motley was searching for his rhythm but missed a three-pointer, while Zvezda led 11:10.

From that moment, Zvezda fell into a very poor rhythm, conceding 11 consecutive points. Williams-Goss beat the defense, and Blaževičius dunked. Motley tried, but once again nothing came of it. The run continued, Tubelis scored, and then Sterling Brown hit a three-pointer to give Žalgiris a 10-point lead at 11:21.

Before the end of the quarter, Zvezda managed to hit a three-pointer through Jared Butler, his first shot and an immediate make. Weiler-Babb and Izundu played good defense, while Maodo Lo scored. Once again, Zvezda could not find easy points late in the quarter and struggled offensively.

More precisely, the offense was functioning, but the defense was very poor. Valančiūnas did whatever he wanted against Zvezda’s defense, and there was simply no way to stop him. In the end, Kramer went to the free-throw line and made both, after which Johnathan Motley scored to close the quarter at 21:28.

The second quarter brought a somewhat better Zvezda. Motley went to the bench, and the defense improved. Nwora finally got into the game and scored. One of the key moments was Sliva’s unsportsmanlike foul, after which Ojeleye made two free throws and then hit a three-pointer to bring Zvezda completely back into the game at 26:31.

Zvezda continued to play well, Valančiūnas battled with Ojeleye, and then Chris Jones scored, after which Nwora made it a tie at 31:31.

Zvezda then managed to take the lead after Sliva missed two free throws. Ojeleye was left open for a three-pointer and hit it for 34:33!

However, Žalgiris produced another run before halftime, scoring through Blaževičius and then Williams-Goss, who restored the Lithuanians’ lead at 34:39.

Zvezda turned the game around again before the end of the quarter. Chris Jones was playing well and had already reached 13 points, while Butler also hit a three-pointer. Carsen Edwards missed, Kramer ran down the other end and hit a three-pointer, causing an eruption in the Arena! There were no further field goals, with only Sterling Brown hitting a three-pointer for a 45:43 halftime score.

Zvezda also had a poor start to the third quarter, going three minutes without scoring while Žalgiris continued to make shots. Zvezda waited a long time for points, Weiler-Babb drove and left the ball for Ojeleye, but he missed. There were plenty of misses during those five minutes of the third quarter.

Jared Butler hit a three-pointer, followed by Jordan Nwora to make it 50:53. The rest of the quarter was full of drama, with Jordan Nwora playing somewhat individually but managing to draw fouls. David Kramer had a great spell. He came in, hit a three-pointer and then played excellent defense on two occasions.

Ulanovas was fouled and earned two free throws, but made only one. Chima Moneke also tried to attack and use his strength to score, but could not do so and ended up at the free-throw line, where he also made only one. Kramer then committed a very poor foul, Ulanovas had two free throws and made both. Zvezda sent him to the line again, where he made both once more, while Motley missed at the end of the third quarter for a 57:59 score.

At the start of the final quarter, Sliva hit a three-pointer, but Zvezda immediately responded through Kramer, who was a positive surprise for the team. Williams-Goss got away, but Zvezda also scored through Izundu.

The game remained completely even until the very end, but the decisive swing came with around two and a half minutes remaining, when Nigel Williams-Goss hit a three-pointer to make it 75:72. Zvezda managed to come back through Moneke, but Tubelis then made one free throw. Moneke missed an easy layup but immediately made up for it to make it 75:78.

Zvezda had one more chance, but with less than a minute remaining, Jordan Nwora made a mistake, driving too aggressively and losing the ball, ultimately contributing to the Lithuanians’ victory.

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