By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Digging its way out of a ten-point hole, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet limited LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne to 18 points in the second half and prevailed, 76-60, in Astroballe Friday.
Facundo Campazzo went for 11 points, six assists, six rebounds, and two steals in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Round 32 affair. “I think we did a great job in defense in the second half. We were aggressive in defense,” the Argentine guard reacted in the postgame flash interview, “From our defense, we shared the ball and played smart in the offense.”
“The big change in our mentality and aggressiveness, and our defense,” Dusko Ivanovic commented on what changed in the second half, “When we play aggressive in defense and play as a team, we can beat anybody.”
However, drawing a third win in a row and jumping to 15-17 was not enough to avoid elimination from the Playoffs.
“It was the team defense. In the first half, it wasn’t really good. But in the second half, we figured out what they do in to close the paint. We made them take tough shots and a couple of blocks, and we were able to finish the game the right way,” Filip Petrusev echoed Campazzo and Ivanovic after contributing eight points, seven rebounds, and three steals for the win in Villeurbanne, Lyon, France.
Holding ASVEL to 4/23 from beyond the arc at home, the solid defensive effort also led the Red Whites to score 24 points off turnovers. Making the most of those opportunities, Ognjen Dobric recorded a game-high 18 points. Luca Vildoza and Ben Bentil finished with ten points each. Team captain Branko Lazic along with Nemanja Nedovic stayed on the injury list. Miroslav Raduljica and Dalibor Ilic were healthy scratches.
On the opposite end, T.J. Parker’s side was already eliminated and on the wrong end of a 29-point swing was forced down to 8-24 with an 11th consecutive loss in Europe’s premier club continental competition. The French club wrapped up home games for the 2022-23 season with a poor 4-13 record. “We played good basketball in the first half. After that, everything shut down,” confessed the 38-year-old play-caller.
Nando De Colo registered all of his team-high 14 points in the first half. Charles Kahudi and Dee Bost followed with 11 points each. Amine Noua (right shoulder) and Joffrey Lauvergne (right knee) were sidelined.
Next challenges
Back to AdmiralBet ABA League and the attached 18-3 tally, Zvezda will play at Mega MIS Monday. The next EuroLeague game is against Olympiacos at home Thursday.
The reigning champions of France will play host to Roanne Sunday and visit Le Mans Tuesday before reverting to EuroLeague and traveling to Cazoo Baskonia Thursday.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net