By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Crvena Zvezda mts (5-6) looks unstoppable since coach Dusko Ivanovic took over. Nobody in Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Euroleague has found the answer for Luka Vildoza, Nemanja Nedovic, and the rest of the red-and-white team from Belgrade. Virtus Segafredo Bologna (4-7) had no chance in round 11 after playing bad defense in the second half and lost, 83-74.
Experienced Ivanovic took over from Vladimir Jovanovic, and Crvena Zvezda managed to beat ASVEL, Alba, Maccabi, and now Virtus.
“I feel very good about my players. They fought the whole game, they believed they could win“, said the winning head coach on the latest win.
A couple of big names were missing from this game, mainly Milos Teodosic who did not travel to Belgrade because of a suspension, and Crvena Zvezda was missing Nikola Ivanovic who broke three ribs and is looking at two months of rehabilitation.
Despite not having their playmaker in Teodosic, Virtus played great offense in the first half and had a double-digit lead in the second quarter (27-17). But that was the sign for Luca Vildoza to take things into his own hands. The Argentinian was on a roll, hitting from all positions beyond the arc. With four three-pointers, he recovered Crvena Zvezda back in the lead at half-time, 42-41.
But that was nothing compared to what happened in the third quarter. Crvena Zvezda was on fire, and Vildoza, Luka Mitrovic, Stefan Markovic, Ognjen Dobric, all had extended minutes on the court while the Italian side stood still as the game was slipping from their hands. They were down 12 points going into the fourth quarter.
“We started slow, but we found our rhythm and got a much-deserved win“, Luka Mitrovic said.
Dobric got the job done for his team playing incredibly. He scored a season-high 20 points. Vildoza added 16, while Luka Mitrovic and Ben Bentil got 12 points.
On the other side, Mam Jaiteh had 15 points and nine rebounds.
“We played well for most of the first half, except for the last 3-4 minutes. Afterward, we made a lot of mistakes and deservedly lost. Congratulations to Dusko Ivanovic“, Sergio Scariolo said.