By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Zalgiris Kaunas managed to get a valuable road win at Belgrade (88-79) and left Crvena Zvezda in shock. The hosts lost control of the game and their mind during the closing minutes, while the Lithuanians got a comfortable win.
It’s unusual but the hosts didn’t score in the last 2,5 minutes during which only Zalgiris scored just four points. Antanas Kavaliauskas with 20 points, Arturas Milaknis with 19 and Edgaras Ulanovas with 14 were the top scorers, while Leo Westermann was the key with 7 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists.
Milko Bjelica (19 p.), Marko Simonovic (16 p.), Nemanja Dangubic (16 p.) and Nate Walters (15 p., 5 as.) put up numbers but couldn’t make a difference with the game on the line.
After the first quarter in which Zalgiris missed the chance to close with a double digits lead because of buzzer beater by Walters (24-16), the hosts had a two points advantage at half time (44-42) and the score was tied at 66 at the end of the third period.
Thanks to a 11-3 run, the guests got a 82-74 lead with four minutes on the clock. Crvena Zvezda couldn’t score during this run not even from the free throw line (1/4 attemps by Ognen Kuzmic and Bjelica) and after that couldn’t get closer than five points (84-79) after a three by Nemanja Dangubic, which was their last made basket.