Lyon-Villeurbanne — Crvena zvezda: 82:84, Euroleague

Crvena Zvezda took a narrow victory over Lyon-Villeurbanne in the EuroLeague on Tuesday night, winning 84 to 82. The away side held on through the closing moments to claim a result that keeps their European ambitions alive.

And here's the thing about two-point margins — they feel like a coin toss until you watch the game. Zvezda's 26 assists to Lyon's 17 tells you where the difference lay, in ball movement rather than isolation plays. The visitors converted 30 field goals against 29 for the hosts, but it was the extra possession quality that mattered.

By then the standings told their own story. Lyon sit bottom of the competition with eight wins from 38 games, while Crvena Zvezda occupy tenth place with 21 victories. That gap of 13 wins is substantial in a league where every point counts.

The home side came into this fixture following a mixed run. They had beaten Ronn 96 to 77 and Paris Basketball 98 to 96, but losses to Valencia and Panathinaikos suggested vulnerability. Crvena Zvezda's recent form showed consistency — wins over Buducnost and Dubai, with only narrow defeats to FMP and Anadolu Efes.

To be fair, the statistics don't lie about possession. Zvezda won the rebound battle 32 to 29 and committed fewer turnovers, 11 compared to 12. Those marginal differences compound over 40 minutes, and this time they proved decisive for the Serbian visitors.