Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade continued its strong EuroLeague form with a 79-65 victory over LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne on Tuesday night, improving to 5-2 despite missing several key players.
The Serbian club was without top scorer Jordan Nwora, as well as Devonte’ Graham, Isaiah Canaan, Jasiel Rivero, Tyson Carter, and Joel Bolomboy. Newly signed guard Jared Butler also remained unavailable for registration reasons. Still, head coach Sasa Obradovic’s squad produced one of its most complete performances of the season.
Forward Chima Moneke led the charge with a standout display, finishing with 24 points on 9-for-10 shooting, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals for a performance index rating of 35. His all-around energy and efficiency set the tone from the opening tip.
Moneke helped Zvezda pull away late in the first half, sparking a 10-0 run that turned a 29-25 contest into a commanding 39-25 halftime lead. By the break, he had 14 points on perfect shooting from inside the arc, along with 5 rebounds and 3 steals.
Zvezda’s defensive effort proved crucial. The hosts limited ASVEL to just 8 points in the second quarter and 22-of-58 overall shooting. Semi Ojeleye and Ognjen Dobric each added 11 points to support Moneke’s dominant night.
Veteran forward Donatas Motiejunas contributed 4 points and 5 rebounds, while point guard Corey Miller-McIntyre chipped in 8 points and 7 assists. Zvezda shot 61.8% on two-pointers and outrebounded ASVEL 37-30, controlling the paint throughout.
For ASVEL, Matthew Ajinca led the way with 13 points, while Mbaye Ndiaye scored 10. Nando De Colo was held to just 6 points in 17 minutes as ASVEL fell to 2-5.
The victory marks Zvezda’s fifth consecutive EuroLeague win, its best run since 2017. The team will look to extend the streak to six when it hosts Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv on Thursday at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall. ASVEL will travel to Lithuania to face Zalgiris Kaunas.
