By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Keenan Evans with nine seconds left in the game gave Zalgiris a 74-73 lead for a total of 11 points and that was enough.
Leandro Bolmaro had the chance to win the game, but his final shot didn’t go in. “We had the last shot to win it, but this is basketball”, admitted Bayern coach Pablo Laso.
Zalgiris got to a 4-5 record, while Bayern dropped to 3-6. Rolands Smits with 16 points was the top scorer of the hosts, while Tomas Dimsa added 14 points.
Serge Ibaka with 20 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks had his best EuroLeague game so far, giving a 73-72 lead with a big three to Bayern with 28 seconds left.
Bolmaro finished the game with 12 points, while Nick Weiler-Babb added 11 points.
A game of details
The game was close from wire to wire, with Zalgiris momentarily leading by 10 (31-21) and Bayern by seven (55-48).
However, the score was tied at 70 with six minutes left before the final buzzer. Smits gave Zalgiris a 72-70 lead and the score remained the same until the last minute of the game and Ibaka’s big shot.
Still, Zalgiris managed to win the day in the last quarter which ended with a partial score of 12-12, and coach Kazys Maksvytis didn’t hide his satisfaction.
As he said: “We tried to play with more fresh players who played less in this week’s first game, and it worked for us… Finally, we can sleep better at night.”
Photo credit: EuroLeague