Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade secured its place in the EuroLeague play-in picture on Friday night, beating LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne 106-93 on the road at Astroballe.
The win lifted Zvezda to 21-16 and gave Sasa Obradovic’s team a crucial result in a pressure game, especially after it squandered a 15-point lead before taking control again late.
Zvezda looked in command early behind Jordan Nwora, who scored nine points in the first three minutes as the visitors opened a 9-19 lead. ASVEL answered with Thomas Heurtel’s quick scoring burst and tied the game at 26-26 after the first quarter.
The Serbian club regained control in the second quarter by tightening its defense and attacking efficiently in transition. Zvezda held ASVEL to a single free throw in the opening three minutes of the period, then stretched the lead to 15 before taking a 55-43 cushion into halftime.
ASVEL flipped the momentum after the break, using a 16-2 run sparked by Shaquille Harrison and Braian Angola to briefly move ahead 59-57. Even so, Zvezda steadied itself and went into the fourth quarter with a 74-71 advantage.
That final period showed why Zvezda has been one of the stronger late-game teams in the race. The visitors quickly rebuilt a double-digit margin, then answered every ASVEL push with timely shot-making from Nwora and Jared Butler.
Nwora and Butler each finished with 24 points, while Codi Miller-McIntyre added 14 points and seven assists to guide the offense. Chima Moneke also helped the cause as Zvezda improved to 21-16 and completed a strong double-round week.
ASVEL, already out of contention, fell to 8-29 despite 22 points from Braian Angola and 16 from Shaquille Harrison.
Zvezda now heads to Madrid on April 16, where it will try to keep climbing before the playoffs begin. ASVEL closes at home against Fenerbahce the same night.
