Crvena Zvezda shone on the court of the Belgrade “Stark Arena” in the eighth round of the EuroLeague as they hosted the representative of Turkey, Fenerbahce. The win ultimately went to the Serbian representative by 87-56.
This was the 17th encounter between the teams led by coaches Dimitris Itoudis and Ioannis Sfairopoulos. Before this match, Fenerbahce’s coach had a slight advantage with a 9-7 record. Additionally, there were concerns about the conditions of Nick Calathes and Marko Guduric, but both were eventually included in the roster of the Turkish team.
Crvena Zvezda had a fantastic start to the game with fast-paced transition play, taking a 4-0 lead. Joel Bolomboy played well, and the red-and-white team easily extended their lead to six points. In the second minute, Shabazz Napier suffered an injury and left the game after a strong hit to the nose, not returning afterward. Johnathan Motley and Scottie Wiblekin responded, but Yago dos Santos and Milos Teodosic, with a combined three three-pointers, allowed Crvena Zvezda to lead 22-16 after ten minutes of play.
Dos Santos hit his third three-pointer, providing the first double-digit lead for the home team. Teodosic then scored for a 14-point lead, but Wilbekin responded with a three-pointer. Teodosic once again ignited the “Stark Arena” with another three-pointer, making it 35-19. The Belgrade team maintained their advantage, with Teodosic leading the way as he scored his 13th point for a 40-23 lead. The red-and-white team managed to extend their lead to plus 20, making the halftime score 45-26.
Nigel Hayes-Davis played brilliantly at the start of the second half. Fenerbahce, riding on his performance, narrowed the deficit to minus 13 (51:38). In moments of shooting crisis for Crvena Zvezda, Luka Mitrovic and Bolomboy stood out with points from the paint. Teodosic, with his fourth three-pointer, extended the lead to 56:38, and the scoreboard at the “Stark Arena” showed 60:40 before the final ten minutes.
The red-and-white team continued to set their sights at the start of the last period, steadily increasing their lead. After Dejan Davidovac hit a three-pointer for 68:44, Coach Itoudis was forced to call a timeout. Throughout the remainder of the game, Crvena Zvezda did not allow any chance for a comeback, further expanding their lead and securing their third victory of the season in the EuroLeague.
Milos Teodosic was the key contributor to the win, scoring 18 points, while Joel Bolomboy stopped at 14. Nemanja Nedovic was particularly in form in the fourth quarter, ending with 12 points. In the defeated team, Nigel Hayes-Davis stood out with 12 points.
In the next round, scheduled for Thursday and Friday, Crvena Zvezda will visit Olympiacos, while Fenerbahce remains in Belgrade to face Maccabi Tel Aviv.