Crvena Zvezda beat Aris 91-87 in their final test before the EuroLeague season

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet defeated Aris 91-87 at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in the club's final friendly before the new season. Jordan Nwora led all scorers with 25 points, while Chima Moneke and Jevon Carter made the decisive plays in the final minute. The match is complete, so the useful question is not what might happen next in this contest. It is what the balanced game revealed about shot creation, late possessions and the rotation before the EuroLeague opener against Zalgiris.

Nwora carried the main scoring load

Jordan Nwora scored 25 points and repeatedly gave Zvezda an answer when the half-court attack slowed. His contribution came through varied possessions rather than one isolated shooting burst.

A lead scorer is most useful when teammates can still read where the next shot will come from. That balance kept Aris from defending every late possession with the same coverage. Nwora's scoring gave Zvezda a dependable option when the first action did not produce an open shot. His value was not limited to the final total because defenders had to follow him through several areas of the floor. That attention created passing lanes for teammates and stopped Aris from loading every defender toward the ball. The final minutes also tested communication after defensive switches. Calling the matchup early allowed the nearest helper to protect the paint without leaving an easy pass to the perimeter.

The game stayed open until the final minute

Zvezda built a double-digit advantage after half-time but could not turn it into an early conclusion. Aris continued to score and forced the hosts to execute under real pressure.

That instability is a warning, yet it also gave the coaching staff a more useful final test than a comfortable friendly. The closing possessions required communication, spacing and calm decisions against an opponent that still believed it could win. A close final quarter exposed details that a comfortable friendly could hide. Zvezda had to organise possessions after a missed shot, protect the paint and avoid giving away an immediate transition. The game remained useful because the score kept both teams under pressure until the decisions in the last minute settled it.

Moneke and Carter decided the finish

Moneke hit a late three-pointer before Carter created the next important basket on his own drive. Those plays gave Zvezda separation after a long period in which neither side controlled the score.

The value was not only the five-point margin but the willingness to take responsibility without abandoning the shape of the attack. A close EuroLeague game will demand the same mix of individual confidence and prepared spacing. Moneke and Carter affected the finish through different actions. One provided energy and force around contact, while the other helped create a calmer possession when the pace threatened to become rushed. Their contribution showed why the closing group needs several ways to produce a good shot rather than one player taking every difficult attempt.

The rotation still has work before Zalgiris

Preseason minutes are shared differently from competitive minutes and several players were unavailable. The staff must decide which ball handlers begin possessions and which combinations protect the defensive glass.

One friendly cannot settle every role, but it can expose where communication becomes late. The review should focus on repeatable sequences rather than treating every made shot as proof that the rotation is complete. The coaching staff can now compare the successful late possessions with periods when the ball stopped moving. Rotation questions include who starts the offence, which forward protects the rebound and how quickly the group identifies a mismatch. Those answers matter before Zalgiris because EuroLeague opponents will punish an unclear role more quickly than a preseason rival.

The final test delivered a result and a useful warning

A win sends the team into the season with better rhythm than the earlier defeat in Thessaloniki. The narrow finish also prevents the score from hiding the stretches when Aris recovered ground.

Zvezda can carry Nwora's creation and the calm final minute into the opener. It must also improve control after building a lead, because EuroLeague opponents will punish the same loose phase more severely. The 91-87 result provides confidence without removing the need for correction. Zvezda proved it could stay composed in a tight finish, but the points conceded also identify defensive work that remains. A productive review should preserve the actions that created good shots and address the possessions in which one missed assignment opened the floor for Aris.