Navarro called it before the game...

It is glaringly obvious that a lack of depth at the power forward and center positions is currently one of Crvena Zvezda's biggest issues. At center, the red-and-whites only have Ebuka Izundu available with Johnathan Motley sidelined by injury. At power forward, head coach Ibon Navarro can count on Chima Moneke, Semi Ojeleye, and the recently recovered Patrick Baldwin. While Vojin Medarevic (center) and Dejan Davidovac (who can play at both the 3 and 4) are also on the roster, neither featured in the previous three EuroLeague rounds, failing to register a single minute. Ahead of the Round 4 trip to Dubai, Navarro confirmed that the club is actively searching the market for reinforcements—though viable big-man options are becoming increasingly scarce with each passing season.

However, the Spanish tactician also pointed out that his team is more than capable of deploying small-ball lineups—which was frequently on display tonight with Ojeleye operating at the five. He highlighted the advantages of this approach and hinted at having a few aces up his sleeve that he was not about to give away. When he finally laid his cards on the table, Zvezda powered through to a convincing 77-58 victory over Dubai.

Navarro’s words were far from empty talk, as tonight clearly showed. Even though Izundu was the only true center available and Ojeleye was forced to wage fierce battles—with mixed results—against the significantly taller Mfiondu Kabengele and Mamadi Diakite, Navarro still crafted a winning blueprint. Rather than over-focusing on Shengelia, Diakite, and Kabengele attacking the rim, knowing his interior defense was thin beyond Ojeleye and Izundu, he directed his team's energy into pressuring Dubai's guards and neutralizing their three-point shooting. While Shengelia looked dominant in the first half and handed Patrick Baldwin a few painful basketball lessons, Dubai went into the break having made just 1 of their 10 attempts from beyond the arc. In contrast, Zvezda knocked down 5 of their 16 attempts. Backed by intense second-quarter defense, the visitors took a six-point lead into halftime.

Zvezda opened the second half with back-to-back triples from Jordan Nwora, pushing the gap to 12 points and proving that Navarro's game plan was working to perfection. His players felt the momentum, realizing that Dubai, despite being heavy favorites, was well within their reach. They locked down defensively—holding Dubai to a meager 27 points in the second half on 38.5% shooting from two-point range and 22.7% from deep—used their fouls smartly, and executed efficiently on offense. The core game plan remained steady: create perimeter looks while making life as difficult as possible for Dubai's shooters.

Alongside the guards who carried the brunt of the workload, Ebuka Izundu also played a pivotal role. He grabbed key offensive boards that generated crucial second-chance points and put together a very solid outing overall, finishing with eight points and three rebounds.

With this historic first road victory over Dubai secured, Zvezda can turn their attention to a blockbuster ABA League showdown against Buducnost this weekend. That will be followed by a EuroLeague double-round week against Paris and ASVEL—fixtures where, on paper at least, victories are expected.

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