Where Did Jared Butler's Courage Go?

Crvena Zvezda clawed their way back from the brink of defeat and stood on the verge of a historic comeback, but in the end, the black-and-whites prevailed to send their fans into raptures and take down their fierce city rivals.

The outcome hung in the balance right down to the final moments, where Zvezda had a golden opportunity to stun the Arena. They fell short, and things might have played out very differently had Jared Butler looked sharper in the closing minutes—most notably on the decisive final possession, where he failed to take responsibility.

Many anticipated that this would be the season where Butler established his dominance and cemented himself among the EuroLeague's premier guards, but reality has fallen far short of expectations.

The Zvezda guard is averaging just nine points per game alongside an average PIR of six, shooting under 36% from the field and attempting only five free throws all season. Butler has previously overcome sluggish outings to deliver in clutch moments—such as hitting vital shots against Paris—but down the stretch in the derby, he vanished once again.

A string of missed shots and failed finishes in relatively routine situations culminated in a disastrous final possession. As head coach Ibon Navarro admitted, the play was drawn up for Butler to take the shot to force overtime. The Zvezda guard created a good look for himself, yet hesitated, shied away from the moment, and dumped the ball off to David Kramer. The aftermath is well known.

After more than two and a half hours of relentless battle, wild momentum swings, and comebacks, Zvezda failed to even get a shot off on their final possession, crashing to a shocking defeat. A fair share of the blame lies with Butler—where did the fearless swagger that defined his game over the past 12 months disappear to when it mattered most?

VIDEO | Arena turns into a cauldron: Partizan fans give Crvena Zvezda a hostile welcome as paper rolls rain down onto the court!