By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Bryant Dunston is notorious for his defense, but when needed he scored just in time to give Zalgiris Kaunas the 86-84 win over Crvena Zvezda.
With the game going to overtime and Zalgiris having just 1.3 seconds for a last shot, Ulanonas inbounded the ball, Dunston got it under the basket and scored just in time making him the MVP of the game with just six points.
“I thought it took three minutes to go in, it was an amazing basket and I love this kind of veteran”, said Zalgiris coach Andrea Trinchieri.
Deividas Sirvydis with 17 points was the top scorer of the winning side, followed by Sylvain Fransisco who had 15 points, and Serb big man Alen Smailagic added 14.
“EuroLeague is always like this most of the time, it was tough but we made it”, said Fransisco adding “That shot was amazing, it was his magical hook”.
DUNSTON FOR THE WINNN!!!!!!pic.twitter.com/o3TvcP5EnD
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) October 30, 2024
Crvena Zvezda didn’t have Milos Teodosic, newcomer Filip Petrusev didn’t score in eight minutes of action and Uros Plavsic registered a career-high of 16 points which was not enough.
Codi Miller McIntire added also 16 points and Nemanja Nedovic had 15 and five assists.
A fouth-quarter dog fight
Zalgiris got the lead from the get-go leading by six after the first period (24-18) and by 14 at halftime (47-33) with Smailagic scoring already 10 points and Sirvydis having 14.
Zvezda simply wasn’t in the game, leading for the last time in the fourth minute (12-11) and being on the back seat in every aspect of the game.
That changed in the third period with the Serbs making it a five-point game (60-55) thanks to their defensive effort. Zalgiris’ answer was two threes by Sirvydis and Francisco to put the lead back to double digits (66-55) and the third period ended with Zvezda down by nine (66-57).
That was the start of a 6-0 run by the guests (66-61) with Nedovic scoring four points and Uros Plavsic one more basket. The push of Zvezda continued and Nikola Kalinic made it a two-point game (68-66) with six minutes left in the game.
The game turned into a dogfight that included a revue for an act of violence, a technical foul on Isaiah Canaan after making the score 74-71, and Plavsic making it a one-point game (78-77) with three minutes and 20 seconds left.
Fransisco made one free throw for the 79-77 and Plavsic finally tied the score at 79. Giedriatis with one more free throw gave Zalgiris the lead back (80-79) and in the next play, Nedovic was hit with a highly debatable offensive foul, missing the chance to get Zvezda in front.
Fransisco scored in the next play and gave Zalgiris a three-point cushion (82-79), Plavsic again made it a one-point game (82-81) and Fransisco was fouled with 11 seconds left. He made both (84-81) and Codi Miller-McIntire tied the score at 84 with a big three and one second left. That proved to be enough for Dunston’s miracle shot.
Photo credit: EuroLeague