Nemanja Nedovic can't explain Zvezda's fall from grace, confesses his feelings for PAO / News - Basketnews.com

Nemanja Nedovic admits he can't figure out why Crvena Zvezda seem to miss the EuroLeague playoff train, and shares his feelings after playing at OAKA for the first time since he left Panathinaikos last summer.

Credit: Srdjan Stevanovic/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Srdjan Stevanovic/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

If one would like to capture or describe this year's rollercoaster season forCrvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgradein a single game, a look at the way their last EuroLeague game turned out would be more than enough.

Player of the Game EFF 22 Georgios Papagiannis Points 17 Accuracy 7-10 Rebounds 7 Assists 2

Playing guest toPanathinaikos Athens, who were coming off six consecutive defeats and only eight wins in a total of 27 games, the Serbian team seemed to hold the game's fate in its own hands. On the back of a convincing 53-37 lead after the first 25 minutes, Zvezda looked destined for their 13th EuroLeague win that would keep their playoff chances alive and kicking.

However, Panathinaikos, as they had done in their previous victory against Zalgiris Kaunas six weeks ago, did not give up. The Greens increased their points tally when it really mattered, handing their opponents a 75-66 loss.

And who could personify Zvezda's woes better thanNemanja Nedovic, who was forced to watch his teammates suffer on the court in the last 15 minutes while he was unable to help them?

Coach Dusko Ivanovic did not specify whether it was a new injury Nedovic picked up or whether the calf issue that bothered the guard at the start of the season returned, but the player himself solved the mystery after the game.

"I felt a discomfort in my hamstring in the third quarter and that's why I didn't play until the end of the game," Nedovic told BasketNews upon exiting his team's locker room.

The former Panathinaikos guard scored all of his 12 points in the first half in a game where the squad's other star players couldn't prevent its meltdown. Luca Vildoza scored only five points in the second part, while Facundo Campazzo went scoreless in a EuroLeague contest for the first time in four years.

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"As long as there is a mathematical chance, we will fight but if we fight as we did in the last 15 minutes of this game, it will be difficult," Ivanovic told the media.

That loss leaves Zvezda three wins away from the playoff places with just six games remaining. It's a bitter pill to swallow for a team that has suffered seven defeats in its last nine outings. Up until early January, Red Star were holding on to a 10-9 record, largely thanks to some big road wins, including the one against current EuroLeague leaders Olympiacos in Piraeus.

Luca Vildoza was the undisputed leading figure, while Facundo Campazzo had just been informed that he had to wait for two more months until he could make his EuroLeague debut with his new team.

As for Nedovic? The man who scored Zvezda's game-winning 3-point shot in the big win over arch-rivals Partizan Soccerbet Belgrade is averaging 14.2 points and 3.2 rebounds over 24 games.

But that hype is long gone, and now, Zvezda will have to win all of their remaining games and expect some more favorable results in order to qualify. Dusko Ivanovic knows it - and so does the 31-year-old Serbian international, whospent the last two seasons with Panathinaikos, averaging 15.1 points in 51 EuroLeague appearances with the Greek club.

Nedovic, as well as former PAO players Ben Bentil and Ognjen Kuzmic, were greeted with a round of applause by the 4,000 local fans in attendance last Friday night. Team manager Savvas Aronis handed the player a plaquette as recognition for his services.

Credit Vangelis Stolis

Although Nedovic didn't exactly enjoy his first game against his ex-team that ended in defeat, he definitely relished the chance to meet old friends at OAKA.

In his quick chart with BasketNews, he admitted to having "no idea" if Zvezda have given up on the playoffs and why the team lost all the momentum gained until the first weeks of 2023, and -once again- expressed his love for Panathinaikos.

Why do you think the game turned out like that for Zvezda?

We stopped playing on both ends. When we were supposed to kill the game, being up by 17 points (53-36), we just stopped playing. It's a shame.

We controlled everything in the game. Panathinaikos were really down and we needed to use the opportunity to close the game. But now, there's nothing we can do about it.

Do you think the team has run out of playoff chances?

I have no idea. I don't know, really.

Do you look at what other teams are doing?

I really don't. There are people that probably do that, but I prefer to go game by game. I know that today we played the most crucial game of the season and we weren't ready.

How's your comeback season with Zvezda going?

We've had some ups and downs. At one point, when coach [Dusko] Ivanovic arrived, we were pretty good. But things changed since mid-January. It looks like we're not the same team anymore. After the Serbian Cup we won, I thought we'd come back to our level, but that didn't happen.

Why did all that hype slip away?

Everybody knew their roles and we were playing well as a team. Why we stopped doing that, I really have no idea. But we'll try to get the best out of it. It's still possible. We got six more games left and anything can happen. But we have to admit that in the most crucial games, we were not on a good level.

Do you think the team was hurt by Facundo Campazzo not being able to play in the EuroLeague for two months?

You can look at it either way. Of course, it shook us up a little bit, but that's no excuse. Having Facu as a point guard is a big privilege. I'm sure everybody wanted him to play earlier, but it wasn't in our control.

How did it feel playing against Panathinaikos for the first time since you left?

Zvezda is my home team, but PAO is for sure my big love. I spent two beautiful years in Athens. It was a little bit emotional for me today. I tried to put it aside and focus on the game. Unfortunately, we lost.

I wish PAO all the best. It's sad not to see the gym not being full because a club like Panathinaikos deserves good results and good support. Hopefully, in the future, they will have that.

What was your brightest memory from those two seasons?

Whenever I land in Athens, I feel special. I enjoy the city and the respect that I had here. My most vivid memories are from all the wins we had together, and the trophies we won.

But I have many good memories off the court as well. Unfortunately, last year we only came close to winning the Greek Cup. I was really sad that we lost that final.

Do you believe Panathinaikos stand a chance of snapping their 11-game losing streak to Olympiacos?

I hope so. Panathinaikos have a nice team and I'm really surprised that they haven't been clicking as someone would expect. I remember the last time we won was in their gym. There's still the Greek league that they can win and I wish them all the best.

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