BELGRADE, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Serbian basketball champion Crvena Zvezda, known worldwide by Red Star Belgrade, secured its 9th Euroleague win of the season by defeating Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv 81-73 in a packed Belgrade Arena on Friday.

The home team established a commanding 15-point lead by halftime in the Round 17 clash of Europe's elite competition, driven by strong performances from Nemanja Nedovic and Isaiah Canaan.

Maccabi mounted a comeback with a 17-0 run early in the third quarter, narrowing the gap and threatening to overturn Red Star's advantage. However, the host regained control through key contributions from Yago Dos Santos and Joel Bolomboy, ultimately denying Maccabi any chance to solidify their lead.

Bolomboy led the scoring for Red Star with 17 points, followed by Yago with 15. On the opposing side, Roman Sorkin stood out with a game-high 21 points.

With this victory, Red Star now sits 9th in the Euroleague standings, while Maccabi remains 17th, having secured just four wins this season. ■