Zvezda, this is no way to play the Eternal Derby

The long-awaited derby between Serbia's top two sides is in the books, delivering exactly the high-stakes drama everyone anticipated.

Tension in the stands, drama on the hardwood, and a single shot deciding the biggest fixture in Serbian basketball—and arguably the most-watched game in European hoops, with all eyes once again fixed on Belgrade.

That decisive moment swung Partizan's way as Alessandro Pajola went from villain to hero, condemning Zvezda to their third defeat of the EuroLeague campaign.

It was a defeat that could have been prevented, but the damage was done long before the final buzzer.

This was Ibon Navarro's first taste of the Belgrade derby from the Zvezda bench. The Spanish tactician could certainly have managed things better, something he is well aware of. Still, given it was his derby debut, the Red-and-White faithful can afford him some patience.

Even so, several tactical choices were hard to fathom. Starting Nikola Đurišić—a hugely talented but raw prospect in games of this magnitude—on Carlik Jones raised eyebrows, as did rotating through the entire roster inside the opening ten minutes, including Patrick Baldwin, whose body language inspired little confidence from the outset.

Zvezda entered the derby looking tentative. The new additions failed to make an impact, and the team's leaders also vanished. In what is becoming a worrying trend, Chima Moneke was virtually invisible against Partizan—a recurring issue whenever Zvezda face higher-caliber opposition—while Jared Butler struggled for rhythm and Jordan Nwora only came alive in the closing stages.

Defensively, the visitors were dismal, conceding 52 first-half points to a side that managed just 55 across an entire game against Panathinaikos and 65 against Fenerbahçe. Lacking energy and self-belief, they looked nothing like a team riding a four-game winning streak that included an away win in Dubai.

Navarro's men managed to salvage some pride late on, injecting late drama into the contest. Ultimately, a stroke of bad luck—such as David Kramer deflecting the ball straight into Carlik Jones' hands for his game-tying three-pointer at 82-82—derailed their comeback. When all is said and done, however, it was the first half that cost them.

This is simply not how you show up for an Eternal Derby.

Zvezda had only a few players ready to rise to the occasion: Semi Ojeleye handled the dirty work, Nick Weiler-Babb anchored the defense almost single-handedly, and Jordan Nwora sparked a late charge. However, everything for the Red-and-Whites ran through Chris Jones.

Whether it was flawed preparation, a sluggish start, or a mix of both, without Jones, the Steamroller might have built a 25-point lead by halftime.

The former Hapoel playmaker looked motivated from the start, sinking three triples in the first half to keep Zvezda afloat while the rest of the team unraveled.

He nearly capped off the night as the hero, but Kevarrius Hayes blocked his potential game-winner. Still, when the dust settled, Jones was undeniably Zvezda's top performer, proving once again that the Red-and-Whites are at their best when he shares the backcourt with Nick Weiler-Babb. Unfortunately for the fans, Navarro only turned to that lineup at the start of the fourth quarter, by which point Partizan were already up by 15.

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