The home team gave its new head coach a perfect start with a majestic performance as Jordan Nwora shined
Sweet homecoming for Sasa Obradovic as Zvezda breaks Zalgiris jinx
Game Report
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 4 of 38
Regular Season
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet BelgradeCZV
8879
Zalgiris KaunasZAL
Overview
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Sasa Obradovic couldn’t have asked for a more gratifying second debut as the head coach of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade with the Serbian team romping to an 88-79 win over visiting Zalgiris Kaunas, its first in the last six meetings against the Lithuanian giants.
Obradovic, who briefly coached Zvezda in 2020 before a successful four-year stint at AS Monaco, made a perfect start to a second spell in charge of the Belgrade outfit as his men saved their best for last in a rip-roaring contest.
Trailing 57-58 at the end of the third quarter, Zvezda leaned on the versatile Jordan Nwora as the 27-year-old American delivered an electrifying performance garnished with a game-high 24 points to go with 7 boards, 5 steals 3 assists and 2 monstrous blocks.
Nwora, who joined Zvezda from Anadolu Efes Istanbul during the offseason, poured 14 points in the fourth quarter as Zvezda threw its fervent fans into raptures and notched a second successive big win, also its first of the season on home court.
The outcome condemned Zalgiris to its first EuroLeague loss of the season after three straight wins, as the visitors simply had nothing left in the tank against a shorthanded Zvezda, which was missing a bunch of high-profile performers sidelined by injuries.
Speaking to reporters courtside and at the post-game press conference, a delighted Obradovic said the only way was up for Zvezda after he was given a rising ovation by jubilant home fans.
“I told the guys at halftime it would take defense to win this game and that’s what we did. We didn’t always play the smartest offense, but we found a way and that’s the most important thing,” said the 56-year-old tactician, a lethal perimeter shooter back in the day for Zvezda and a bunch of European clubs.
“It’s a bit messy at the moment with all the injuries we’ve had so we are relying on individual quality and today Nwora was amazing. It’s always going to be a different player who steps up to the plate but it’s the team spirit that matters.”
Obradovic hailed his team’s collective effort, in which forward Donatas Motiejunas – on a three-month loan at Zvezda from Monaco - also stood out as he and the hardworking Chima Moneke poured 13 points apiece for the home team.
“You can sense the team spirit is making this outfit more than just a sum of its parts and I can only see us improving as time goes by,” said Obradovic. “It’s a time-consuming process, but I am confident we’ll get there with the support of the best fans in the world.
“It’s a very special emotion to be back here and apart from the fans, it’s also great to have Moteijunas here to help me adapt as he was always a telling factor in the locker room in our time together at Monaco.”
Moteijunas himself was delighted to be back in the thick of the action after a difficult period at Monaco recently, where he was almost glued to the bench under Obradovic’s successor, Vassilis Spanoulis.
Having also shined in Zvezda’s shock 81-86 win at champs Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in the previous round when he netted 13 points, Moteijunas left no room for doubt just how much he had craved for an opportunity to showcase his ability.
“It was up and down, but the important thing is that we showed a lot of character today as we kept fighting and stayed together to get our first home win,” said the Lithuanian with a big smile on his face.
“Six months on the bench reminds you how important basketball is to you and throughout my career, I’ve always given my heart and soul to the club that I play for. That’s what I will try to do here too,” added the 35-year-old from Kaunas, who started his illustrious career at Zalgiris.
Deservedly, the plaudits and due credit went to player of the game Nwora who amassed a personal best PIR of 34 after hitting top gear in the fourth quarter to finish on his second-highest career tally of 24 points, having set a record of 27 in an 82-92 home loss to EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in Round 1.
Fast emerging as a team leader thanks to relentless work at both ends of the court, Nwora stayed admirably humble in his postgame comments.
“We just leaned on each other, especially on the defensive end,” he said. “They made a little run, we’ve been there before and tonight we were able to win.”
“My coach and my teammates made it easier for me to perform as they’re a great bunch of guys and it makes my job a lot easier when I’m out there on the court. It was a crazy atmosphere and it was great to have the fans get behind us like that.”
