Crvena Zvezda beat Paris 90-81, Butler stops comeback

After three quarters the scoreboard at Belgrade Arena read 77-58, and then Paris scored 15 points in three minutes of the fourth. Crvena Zvezda weathered the blow and on Friday evening took a 90-81 win in round 6 of the EuroLeague, its fourth in a row.

Head coach Ibon Navarro did not hide that his feelings after the game were mixed:

The feeling after the game is bittersweet. We played well for most of the game. We knew this would be a game of runs, and we did not control the rhythm. At the start of the fourth quarter they gave us 15 points in three minutes. We had a reaction after that. What we have to do is control the game better.

The run of four wins includes the one over Asvel, which Chris Jones decided for Zvezda at the buzzer, 84-82.

How did Zvezda lose its rhythm in the fourth quarter?

The quarters went 28-18, 18-18 and 31-22 for the hosts, and at one point Zvezda led by 19. Paris took the last ten minutes 23-13, and those 15 points in three minutes made up most of that. The visitors came back with threes, which is exactly what Jared Butler singled out after the game as the hardest part of facing this opponent:

Yes, that is the hardest thing when you play against Paris. They can get back into the game with threes and suddenly there is complete chaos. It is really hard to play against that. But I am glad we managed to pull ourselves together, to persevere and to win in the end.

Butler settled the question of the winner himself in the closing stretch: two baskets in a row and an assist put the game away. He scored 13 points, hitting three of five two-pointers and two of four threes, with five assists. Asked what had changed since Zvezda started its winning run, he said: “I think we now know pretty well what we are doing.”

What do the numbers say about Zvezda’s play?

The Red-Whites shot 57.4 percent on twos (27 of 47), 29.2 percent on threes (7 of 24) and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line (15 of 18). Simple arithmetic shows where the winning total came from: 54 of the 90 points came on two-pointers, 21 from beyond the arc and 15 from the line. Zvezda had ten turnovers, 21 assists, 36 rebounds (12 offensive and 24 defensive) and nine steals.

Cima Moneke was the most productive player in the game with 23 points, and he did not miss any of his nine free throws. His field goals add up to the same total: four of five on twos and both of his threes. Behind him were Butler, Jordan Nwora with 12, and Nikola Djurisic and Semi Ojeleye with 11 each. Chris Jones added seven assists, even though he scored only four points himself.

For Paris, Etienne stood out with 24 points, and Herrera added 14. The game was officiated by Robert Lottermoser, Marcin Kowalski and Piotr Pastusiak.

What did Moneke say after the game?

Moneke played only about 20 minutes. Late in the first half he rolled his ankle, and about the state of the foot he said:

It hurts a little, but if we have a game on Sunday and I am chosen to play, I will be ready.

Asked about working on the mental side during the summer, he gave a longer answer about how the public treats athletes:

I hate it when people only get the love they deserve after they die. I hate it when athletes finish their careers and only then get the love. I hate it when an athlete suffers an injury that forces him to miss the whole season or end his career, and only then do people start giving him love and support.

He added that this is why he deactivated his social media accounts this summer. When reporters asked him about Novak Djokovic, who has gone through something similar over his career, Moneke said: “I have to talk to him about that.”

Butler also spoke about teammates, and both named the same man. Moneke on Patrick Baldwin: “It will take him some time, but he is already starting to do good things for us and helping us win.” Butler was briefer: “Patrick Baldwin, that is my guy. A great, smart young man. I enjoy working with him. I am glad he is here and I think he will bring huge value to our team.”

Zvezda also played its second game in a row without a traditional center. Moneke explained it this way: “Semi is a center, a power forward, a small forward, a beast, a warrior. Patrick also plays the five.”

Where does Zvezda stand and what comes before the derby?

At 4-2, Zvezda is fifth, with the same record as Valencia, Dubai, Hapoel and Virtus. Virtus convincingly beat Baskonia, which is 1-5, Besiktas beat Bayern 95-87, and Efes beat Zalgiris 85-70. Zeljko Obradovic’s Panathinaikos suffered its first defeat, 91-81 to Hapoel in Athens. Partizan fell to 12th place at 3-3 after a 74-65 loss to Fenerbahce.

Zvezda first travels to Krka in the ABA League on Sunday, October 18, and the EuroLeague eternal derby is on Thursday, October 22, at 8:45 p.m. at Belgrade Arena, with Partizan as the hosts. Moneke previewed it without hedging: “I have to win. I have not beaten Partizan yet since I have worn this jersey. I have to get that win.” Butler answered the same question briefly: “It will be fun. I cannot wait.”

Navarro himself named what the team will work on until then: controlling the rhythm and the fourth quarter that spoiled an otherwise clean evening. My assessment is that the derby at the Arena will hinge on exactly that, because 29.2 percent from three and a 13-23 last ten minutes against Partizan will not go unpunished.