Jordan Nwora returned to action for Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) after missing 10 games with a calf injury, while Chima Moneke also made his comeback following a three-game absence due to a groin issue. However, their return was not enough to prevent a narrow 76–73 defeat to Valencia Basket in a EuroLeague clash on Friday night at the Roig Arena.
Head coach Saša Obradović named a starting five of Codi Miller-McIntyre, Chima Moneke, Donatas Motiejūnas, Jared Butler and Nikola Kalinić as Red Star sought to bounce back from their 87–86 loss to Cedevita Olimpija in the ABA League on Monday. But once again, they fell short by three points on the continental stage.
The opening quarter was evenly contested, finishing 26–26, before Valencia took control in the second period, outscoring Red Star 23–13 to head into halftime with a 49–39 lead.
Red Star responded strongly in the third quarter, dominating 21–11 to erase most of the deficit. However, the hosts held firm in the final frame, edging it 16–13 to seal a hard-fought three-point victory.
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Guard Codi Miller-McIntyre poured in a game-high 23 points, but his effort could not secure Red Star’s ninth win of the season. Jordan Nwora followed with 14 points off the bench. The D’Tigers forward showed some rust, particularly from beyond the arc, where he hit just one of five attempts, but was perfect from the free-throw line (5-of-5) and shot 3-of-7 on two-pointers while adding two steals.
Chima Moneke contributed six points on his return, while Semi Ojeleye and Jared Butler added eight points each.
Valencia’s balanced scoring proved decisive, with Brancou Badio posting 16 points, Kameron Taylor adding 12, and Jean Montero recording 10 to help secure a memorable victory over one of the EuroLeague’s top teams this season.
Red Star dropped to third place on the table with an 8–4 record from 12 games, while Valencia improved to 7–5 and climbed to seventh.
It has been a difficult stretch for Red Star, who have been hit hard by injuries in recent weeks. Despite the return of Nwora and Moneke, Obradović is still without several key players, including Joel Bolomboy (foot), Isaiah Canaan (ACL), Ebuka Izundu (ankle), Jasiel Rivero (foot), Tyson Carter (pulmonary embolism), and Devonte Graham (ankle).
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