Team effort carried Zvezda to lifeline victory vs. Valencia

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade could not afford a slip-up against Valencia Basket and the home team duly delivered in a 92-73 win thanks to a flowing team effort at both ends of the court on Wednesday.
Defeat would have meant lights out for Zvezda and elimination from the playoff picture, but the Serbian side is still in with a chance after racking up 20 assists and forcing 19 turnovers from the visitors, who were blown away in the second half after trailing just 46-41 at the interval.
Zvezda’s mindset was perhaps best summarized by playmaker Facundo Campazzo, who finished the game on 15 points and 7 assists as he pulled all the strings on offense for the hosts.
"We were smart in every possession as we shared the ball and played for the guy who was on fire in a particular moment," the Argentine said in a flash post-game interview. "We also took advantage of playing here in front of our fans. That's our extra energy. We will fight until the end and winning today means a lot to us ahead of the trip to ASVEL. Energy, hustle, fight – that’s the only way you can win there.”
The teams were pretty evenly matched in three-point shooting as Zvezda nailed 10 of 23 while Valencia sank 11 of 26, but the home team dominated inside the arc having made 23 of 35 two-pointers while the visitors were only 13-for-26.
Filip Petrusev was particularly lethal in the paint with a game-high 20 points, having benefited from Campazzo’s selfless display which kept Valencia on the back foot throughout the game. Zvezda took good care of the ball as it only committed 11 turnovers, having also raced up 10 offensive and 20 defensive rebounds.
In an nutshell, Valencia got beaten in pretty much every department and the final score in no way flattered the home team.