The visitors came storming back in the second half to give their head coach a second win over his former club.
Baskonia turned the tables on Crvena Zvezda as Ivanovic completed the double
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Regular Season
Round 22 of 34
Group Regular Season
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It was a stellar night for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz guard Markus Howard, forward Chima Moneke and head coach Dusko Ivanovic in Round 22, as the Spanish club ground out a captivating 90-91 road win over Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade in Round 22 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.
Howard poured a game-high 32 points, shooting 7-of-10 from downtown and 3-of-5 from two-point territory, engineering a spectacular Baskonia comeback after a 52-43 halftime deficit. Moneke chipped in with 13 points and 12 rebounds, including a crucial offensive board late in the game which paved the way for Baskonia’s victory.
Moneke’s late arrival
In his flash post-game interview, Moneke revealed an astonishing pre-game development which almost forced him to miss the titanic clash in Belgrade’s Stark Arena due to a passport issue.
“Honestly, I wasn’t even supposed to be here,” Moneke said. “I was stuck in the airport for seven hours yesterday and I only got to my hotel at 1 am. I didn’t think I would play this game.” The athletic forward went on to heap praise on Howard while he also stressed his own contribution in the contest’s dramatic finish.
“Markus carried us offensively and I was tired at the end, so I couldn’t be aggressive. However, great players make plays when they’re not scoring and that’s what I pride myself in.”
Howard was crucial
Howard spent much of the first half on the bench after picking up 2 fouls but came roaring back in the third quarter, when he scored 17 points to flip the script and put Baskonia in the driving seat. Humble as ever, Howard lauded his teammates for a heroic effort after Zvezda dominated the opening two quarters.
“This is definitely the toughest place we’ve had to play at. We’ve got to give their fans and the organization great credit, there’s nothing but emotion here,” the 24-year-old commented.
“A lot of emotion throughout the game. We got better as a team during the game, we knew it was going to be tough. Defensively we picked up in the second half. I’ve got to give a shout to Chima for that rebound at the end of the game, that was a big play.
“So many guys made big plays in the second half. Whatever the game calls for, I try to execute to the best of my ability. My teammates give me supreme confidence, so I am just blessed, grateful and fortunate to be here.”
Ivanovic’s return to Stark Arena
It was also a very special night for Ivanovic, who will fly back to Vitoria-Gasteiz a happy man after completing the double over his former club. Baskonia edged out Zvezda 87-85 in the reverse fixture last month, shortly after Zvezda sacked Ivanovic following a 1-3 start to the season. The home fans gave Ivanovic a rising ovation prior to the game in Belgrade and the coach was deeply moved by their appreciation for his time at the helm of the Serbian club.
“First of all, I want to thank the crowd. That was a really nice gesture,” he said. “It’s been an emotional night for me. We had no intensity and didn’t play defense in the first half, Red Star scored too many easy points. We improved in the second half, played better defense and we had an inspired Markus Howard on offense.”
Ivanovic surrendered the regional Adriatic league title to traditional city rival Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade in his first season at Zvezda, while the club tailed off late in the last EuroLeague campaign. Asked whether he was disappointed by Zvezda’s decision to part ways with him just four games into the current season, the 66-year-old tactician said it seemed that both parties had benefited from the split.
“Like I said when I came to Zvezda, a year in charge is not enough time to rebuild a team,” he explained. “But such is a coach’s job; we live by our results and when you don’t have them, the heat is on. I am happy for Zvezda that they’re playing well, but I am also very happy at Baskonia and it seems things have panned out the right way for both sides.”
Greek Ioannis Sfairopoulos, who replaced Ivanovic at the helm, acknowledged that Zvezda always faced a tall order to force the final twist after Baskonia had turned an 11-point deficit into an 11-point lead, although his team came close.
“We lost the game because of our defense, they scored 91 points and took a lot of offensive rebounds,” Sfairopoulos pointed out. “It was very hard for us to come back after they turned it around. We fought until the end but unfortunately we didn’t control the boards well tonight and their 15 offensive rebounds gave them a lot of second-chance points.
“Win or lose, we have to move on because the next game is always the most important.”