By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
After 21 defeats in Top16, Brose Baskets Bamberg finally got its first win in the most amazing way. The German champions beat Zalgiris Kaunas by 33 points (96-63).
Nikos Zisis with 18 points and 5 assists and Nicolo Melli with one more double double (15 p., 10 r.) were the first among equals, as every player of the winners had a good game with Janis Strelnieks being the top scorer with 19 points and three more players scoring in double digits. Olivier Hanlan had 17 points for Zalgiris, but he didn’t affect in any way the final result.
The hosts produced an amazing first half which ended with them having a 20 points lead (49-29). Melli and Zisis with 11 points each led the Germans who had 13 assists and only four turnovers in the first two periods.
Brose Baskets dominated the game, was better in every aspect and also played great defense keeping Zalgiris to 9/24 two-point-shots (37%) and just one made three in eight attempts. Ian Vougioukas scored 10 points for the Lithuanian team, but he was all alone.
Things didn’t change in the second half. Zalgiris didn’t let things get worse in the third quarter during which the Lithuanians “won” by one point (23-22 partial score), however they didn’t have the courage to go on. The final quarter was just total surrender.