“Ivanovic’s Gesture to Red Star: Despite a Dramatic Loss to Efes, a Virtus Win Secures Play-In Advancement”
Efes triumphed at the Belgrade Arena: Jordan Nvora competing with Nikola Kalinic, Photo: Anadolu Efes/X
Red Star couldn’t clinch the EuroLeague title despite winning a match before the season ended, but they received positive news from their former coach, Montenegrin expert Duško Ivanović.
The “Red and Whites” suffered a narrow loss to Efes (97:96) in a thrilling game at the Belgrade Arena that went into overtime. However, they were assured a play-in spot after Ivanovic’s Virtus defeated Armani (90:70) in the Italian derby, effectively shutting the door to the playoffs for the team from Milan.
Meanwhile, Efes made significant progress toward the playoffs by preparing to face the already-eliminated Zalgiris in the final round. Red Star, on the other hand, will go up against Panathinaikos in Athens, after which their play-in seeding will be determined.
During the match, Efes was without the in-form Rodrigo Bobua, and Shane Larkin played while injured. Despite these challenges, they maintained an 80:71 lead with just four minutes remaining.
Although Red Star seemed to face an uphill battle, Ajzea Kenan began to shine, Nikola Kalinić made key shots, and Jago dos Santos scored the tying basket with two seconds left (88:88).
The overtime period mirrored the earlier tension, with the guests initially leading 97:91. Red Star narrowed the margin to 97:96 thanks to a basket by Cody Miller-McIntyre, but the “red and white” guard ultimately missed the opportunity for the win.
Elijah Bryant led the winning team with 17 points, supported by Vincent Poirier with 14 points, PJ Dowger with 13, Erdzan Osmani with 11, and Rolands Schmitz with 10 points—matching the score that Bobu achieved before his injury.
For Red Star, Filip Petrushev scored 23 points, with Kenan adding 21.
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