Match Preview
Crvena Zvezda probably have the edge in terms of confidence and team spirit after securing two big wins in the last two rounds, but they lost Ebuka Izundu to an injury he suffered last weekend. Can ASVEL take advantage of his absence and upset the Serbian side?
ASVEL Showing Mixed Results
ASVEL started the new EuroLeague season by beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 84-74 at home, thanks to excellent three-point shooting. They made 16 of 34 attempts from beyond the arc, with Jae Crowder leading the way with 19 points.
Tony Parker's side were nowhere near upsetting Panathinaikos in the second round in Athens, losing convincingly 102-79, mainly due to a disastrous first half (34-56) and poor free-throw execution (14/22). They then lost their following clash against Valencia 105-92 at home.
ASVEL trailed for most of last week's fourth-round clash against Paris but managed to edge out their fellow French rivals 98-96. Veteran Patty Mills came up with some clutch shots and finished as the top scorer with 21 points.
Crvena Zvezda Finding Their Defensive Identity
Crvena Zvezda made an awful start to the new campaign among the elite, suffering back-to-back narrow defeats to Zalgiris Kaunas 83-77 and Hapoel Tel Aviv 81-80 at home. At that point, coach Ibon Navarro was allegedly in danger of losing his job.
The Red & Whites finally claimed their first victory in the third round, beating Anadolu Efes 77-72 at home. Their shooting was poor at 38%, but they did an excellent job defensively and forced 18 turnovers.
Another strong defensive performance followed last Thursday in the UAE, where they beat favored Dubai 77-58. Jordan Nwora was the top scorer with 20 points, while Sami Ojeleye also played a major role with 12 points and seven rebounds.