By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
With Felipe Reyes (24 points, six rebounds) and Gustavo Ayon (16 points, 15 rebounds) being unstoppable, Real Madrid defeated Zalgiris Kaunas 92-86 at home. This was the second win for the Spaniards in group F (2-1), whereas the Lithuanians suffered their third straight loss (0-3).
For the winners, apart from the Spaniard and the Mexican (who also claimed the MVP award before the start of the game), K.C Rivers and Jonas Maciulis scored 14 and 12 points, respectively. On the other hand, five players scored in double figures for the losing squad, with Renaldas Seibutis having 13 points.
Real Madrid made a great start to the game (10-2), executing perfectly on both ends of the floor. However, the visitors responded, went on a 10-4 run of their own and cut the deficit to two points (14-12). The hosts, though, retained their advantage and ended the first quarter in front by eight (26-18).
Later, the Spaniards extended their lead to double digits (39-26), but Zalgiris Kaunas fought back, enhanced its overall performance and were down by just three at the end of the first half (45-42), behind a 16-6 run.
In the second half, the Lithuanians managed to remain as close to their opponents as they could (49-44, 56-50). The “Whites”, though, played better both offensively and defensively, bringing their advantage back to double digits after 30 minutes in the game (65-53), as Pablo Laso’s players outscored the visitors 20-11 in the third quarter.
The hosts extended their lead up to 16 points (73-57), however Sarunas Jasikevicius’ team came back again, cutting the deficit to five points (78-73, 84-79, 86-81), but they ran out of time and the Spaniards earned a crucial, yet difficult, win at home.