By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Rokas Giedraitis played a great match, his best in Crvena Zvezda‘s shirt, but couldn’t hit the most important shot of the game.
He had the chance to win it all, but he missed and Baskonia prevailed to win 87-85, extending their winning streak with Dusko Ivanovic to 7-1 in the EuroLeague.
The hosts made 17 three-pointers out of 36 attempts. Tadas Sedekerskis led with 18 points, supported by Marcus Howard with 17 (five threes) and Chima Moneke with 15 points and nine rebounds. Nikos Rogkavopoulos contributed with 14 points, hitting 4 out of 6 three-pointers.
For the losing side, Giedraitis finished with 24 points and six rebounds, displaying motivation from the start.
Luka Mitrović also stood out with eight points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists (PIR 24).
They were joined by Joel Bolomboy with 14 points and Miloš Teodosić with 13 points and six assists.
“I think we witnessed an interesting game today. It was exciting for the fans. We fought until the end. I believe our defense was not good in the first half. It’s a problem for us when we don’t start well in defense. We allowed the opponent a 10-0 run in the second half. We didn’t give up, and it was uncertain until the end. In the end, either team could have won, but small details decided the winner,” Zvezda’s coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos said.
A fight until the end
Immediately, Ivanovic’s team launched a fierce attack, with Marinkovic hitting two three-pointers in the opening five minutes, securing a 10-2 lead. Crvena Zvezda responded after Teodosić’s masterful play, but Baskonia closed the first quarter with two threes, ending it 26-18.
In the second quarter, Baskonia maintained a double-digit lead, despite the Belgrade team narrowing the gap to seven points. The halftime score was 52-43.
Zvezda showed promise in the second half, led by Bolomboy, Mitrovic, and Giedraitis, but missed opportunities allowed Baskonia to take a 67-62 lead after a three-pointer by Miller McIntyre in the final seconds, heading into the decisive period.
Baskonia then pulled away to another double-digit lead, but Zvezda fought back and after Giedraitis’ triple tied at 85 with nine seconds to go. However, it wasn’t enough. Sedekerskis hit two free throws, and Giedraitis took responsibility but missed the game-winner in the final moments.
“We were lucky. Rokas had a good shot. If that ball had gone in, we would have lost the match. Congratulations to Crvena Zvezda for their good play and great fight. We secured a significant victory, a very important one,” coach Dusko Ivanovic said at the postgame press conference.
Photo: euroleaguebasketball.net