By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Crvena Zvezda coach Giannis Sfairopoulos saw his players coming back from down 13 points in the second half to take the lead in the fourth period against ASVEL Villeurbanne on the road but ultimately his team fell 77 – 74.
“It was a close game in which both teams could’ve won it in the end,” said Sfairopoulos. It was very tight until the last moment. Small details decided the winner. I think with the way we played in the second half to get back in the game, [the way] we fought hard until the end… we deserved something better. Congratulations to ASVEL.”
Zvezda trailed 47 – 34 early in the third period but erased that margin to go ahead in the score in what became a tight game in the fourth period. Isaiah Canaan put his team up 71 – 74 with 55 seconds to play but that was the last Red Star scored in the game.
Nando De Colo hit a pair of free throws and Theo Maledon made the go-ahead bucket. The latter won an offensive foul by Filip Petrusev and then added 2-2 from the line. On the other end, Milos Teodosic missed in his shot to tie the game.
“Very good player,” Sfairopoulos commented on Maledon. “He’s playing really good this season.”