Azovmash Mariupol finished its Eurocup season with a bittersweet win on Tuesday, beating Crvena Zvezda 72-95 in Belgrade. Azovmash's third win in four games was not enough to propel head coach Rimas Girskis’s men, who needed to win and for Pamesa Valencia to beat Hemofarm to reach the Final Eight. However Hemofarm's 66-62 win effectively ended Azovmash's season. Azovmash finishes third in Group K with a 3-3 record, while Crvena Zvezda is fourth at 1-5. Simonas Serapinas scored 16 of his season-high 22 in the fourth quarter to help Azovmash wrap up the win. Richard Guinn shot 6 for 8 from downtown for 18 points, while Hasan Rizvic added 16 and 7 rebounds, Dijon Thompson netted 14 and Khalid El-Amin produced 8 points and 6 assists. Elmedin Kikanovic led the hosts with 19 points and 8 rebounds, Boris Bakic scored 14 and Tadija Dragicevic had 10 in defeat. Azovmash led for most of the game, but Crvena Zvezda kept it close until midway through the third period. Guinn put Azovmash up 10 with a triple and a red-hot Serapinas put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter, though the score from Hemofarm would soon arrive and not be enough for the visitors.

The game got off to a fast-paced start as Dragicevic fed Kikanovic for Crvena Zvezda's first basket and Oleksandr Skutyelnik answered from downtown for Azovmash. The visitors surged ahead on a pair of Rizvic baskets inside and two Guinn triples as part of a 3-12 charge for a 7-17 lead. Back-to-back three-pointers by Marko Keselj and Mirko Kovac brought Crvena Zvezda back. Thompson’s steal and layup kept Azovmash in control before free throws by Bakic and Lawrence Roberts narrowed the gap to 16-20 after 10 minutes. Oliver Stevic and Roberts generated points on the offensive glass to further narrow the gap to 1, but Rizvic and Guinn teamed up again as Azovmash scored 7 in a row to get to 19-27. The momentum soon shifted though as a Bakic basket and a Lawrence triple tied the score and Andre Owens fed Kikanovic who put the hosts on top for the first time since the first minute, 30-28. Rizvic matched for Azovmash and the teams proceeded to trade baskets for several minutes until Thompson and Rolandas Jarutis each scored to put Azovmash up 35-40 at the break.

Guinn fired up another triple and Rizvic scored inside to increase the lead to double digits. Dragicevic sank a pair of free throws to get Crvena Zvezda on the scoreboard, but Thompson matched him at the other end. The hosts gained some momentum when Owens stole the ball from El-Amin, who then was whistled for an unsportsmanlike foul when he tried to stop Owens. Resulting free throws by Owens and Dragicevic made it 43-49. A three-point play by Bakic got Crvena Zvezda within 5, however Serapinas hit from downtown and El-Amin scored three the hard way to put Azovmash back up by 9. Guinn’s sixth three of the night made it 50-60 and soon after Serapinas hit another three and then fed Goran Cakic, the lead reached 14. Dragicevic nailed a three to make it 56-67 at the end of the third period. Azovmash looked to put the game away as Serapinas drilled a three to start the fourth quarter and Thompson extended the lead to 17. A three-point play by Kikanovic didn’t change the momentum as Rizvic continued to dominate inside and Serapinas added a three to make it 63-83. Serapinas shined with 10 more points down the stretch to ice the game for the visitors.