Crvena Zvezda Extends Winning Streak to Four with Victory Over Paris (90-81)

Ibon Navarro's Crvena Zvezda is starting to look like what was expected in Belgrade. The Vitoria-born head coach secured his fourth consecutive victory against Paris Basketball (90-81), improving to 4-2 and erasing a poor start. It wasn't a comfortable win, as the Serbian team squandered nearly an entire 20-point lead. They pulled it off without a single true center: Ebuka Izundu didn't arrive in time and Jonathan Motley remains injured.

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A Start Made for Moneke

Without tall men, Navarro relied on mobility, and Chima Moneke took advantage from the opening tip. The Nigerian power forward hit a three-pointer and scored seven points in the 9-0 run that started the game. Paris, without their star Nadir Hifi and TJ Warren, got stuck on offense and Crvena Zvezda built a 26-11 lead. The first quarter ended 28-18.

The second quarter was more sluggish. The home team missed too many shots and Sebastián Herrera's three-pointers brought Paris within eight points (38-30), but the Serbs' rebounding dominance kept them ahead at halftime (46-36).

Twenty Up, Five at the 37-Minute Mark

The third quarter seemed to have settled the matter. Crvena Zvezda ran the floor, Moneke finished a fast break for 75-56, and the lead reached 20 points before the scoreboard showed 76-57 at the end of the period.

In the final quarter, Paris refused to quit. Tyson Etienne found the basket from three-point range, Herrera kept adding points, and a 6-20 run left the score at 82-77 at the 37-minute mark. That's when Jared Butler appeared. A three-pointer and a free throw from him restored the lead to seven (86-79 and 88-81), and a dunk from Jordan Nwora made it 90-81 final.

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Paris Sinks

The loss leaves Paris with a 1-5 record and in the bottom of the standings. Etienne, with 24 points, and Herrera, with 14, were the only French team players to reach double figures. The absences of Hifi and Warren take too much away from them.