Zvezda's second-half defense swallowed up ASVEL

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade rallied from a double-digit deficit to beat LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 60-76 at the Astroballe in Round 32 on Friday. A vast second-half difference on the scoreboard allowed Zvezda to win its third game in a row and condemn ASVEL to an 11th straight defeat.
Zvezda trailed 42-37 at halftime and, up to that point, ASVEL had shot the ball really well from two-point range, making 12 of its 19 shots inside the arc (63.2% 2FG). ASVEL buried all 12 of its free-throw attempts, yet it struggled from deep, downing just 2-of-10 three-pointers (20% 3FG). Zvezda didn't have its best shooting first half either (52.9% 2FG, 35.7% 3FG), and it was outrbounded 19-12.
Things were very different after the break, however. Zvezda only allowed ASVEL to score 18 points after the break. The hosts hit just 3-of-13 two-point shots (23.1% 2FG), 2-of-13 three-pointers (15.4% 3FG) and 6-of-8 free throws (75% FT). Zvezda changed its mentality under the boards, outrebounding ASVEL 13-26. Zvezda shot the ball steadily throughout the game (51.3% 2FG, 38.5% 3FG), and its second-half defense suffocated ASVEL in its final home game of the 2022-23 EuroLeague Regular Season.