By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
In the very tight game, Sarunas Jasikevicus’s team was able to defend their home court. Taylor Rochestie had a chance to give the victory to Zvezda but he missed a three-point shot at the buzzer and the final result was 78-76 for Zalgiris.
It was obvious from the first quarter that Zvezda kept the same mentality, although the club changed their coach and lot of players. Defense and slow pace remain the calling card of the Serbs, as the first quarter ended with Zalgiris leading by two (15-13).
Both teams were much more efficient in the second quarter scoring 55 points combined. Veteran Paulius Jankunas with 8 points and just one missed shot was the main reason for Zalgiris’s lead (43-40) after the first 20 minutes of action.
The game remained close, Zvezda got a 57-53 lead at the end of the third quarter, keeping Zalgiris to just ten points in ten minutes, however, it was not enough in order to get the win.
Turning Point: The home team didn’t want to disappoint 11.456 people rooting for them in the Zalgirio Arena. They managed to score 25 points in the last quarter, got a crucial 78-73 lead in the last seconds and managed to survive the last shot.
The star: Paulius Jankunas had an amazing night which ended with a double-double, 15 points and 10 rebounds.
For the losing team, Pero Antic was the top scorer with 17 points.