By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
A 21-12 run in the third quarter gave Khimki a much-needed victory against Zalgiris Kaunas on the road (71-76), with the Russian team retaining its chances to qualify to the playoffs.
For the winners, Tyrese Rice had 17 points, as three more players scored in double figures. On the other hand, Paulius Jankunas scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the losing squad, which has already been eliminated.
After a slow start to the game for both teams, Zalgiris Kaunas took a three-point advantage (15-12), however Khimki went on an 8-2 run and closed the first quarter in front by three (17-20).
Later, the hosts responded and went on a 17-7 run to regain the lead (34-29), but the Russians managed to cut the deficit to just two, after 20 minutes in the game (37-35).
In the second half, the Lithuanians tried to remain competitive (40-44), with Khimki enhancing their overall performance and ending the third quarter in a 12-5 run to take a seven-point advantage (49-56).
In the fourth quarter, things didn’t change much, as the visitors extended their lead to double digits (51-65, 55-72) and never looked back, as Zalgiris was unable to make a come-back (68-75).
Consequently, Khimki secured a crucial victory on the road and now have their sights set on next week’s home game against Olympiacos, which will determine whether they will be able to qualify to the playoffs.