By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
An immensely powerful second half helped Lithuania break down the brave Nigerian resistance and make the 2-0 in the Olympic basketball tournament with a 89 – 80 victory.
Mantas Kalnietis was brilliant in everything that encompassed his duties on the floor, finishing the match with an impressive double-double consisted of 21 points and 12 assists. Jonas Maciulis also brought his A-game in, dropping 21 points as well. And most of them arrived in the most timely fashion for his squad.
The forward of Real Madrid scored 14 of his points in the third period, when a 12-0 run by his team transformed the 47 – 49 to 59 – 49. A difference which was proven to be more than safe for Lithuania and simply too much for Nigeria to overcome.
Led by Ike Diogu (19 points, 7 rebounds) and by using their athleticism and the advantage it gave them in 1 vs 1 situations, the Nigerians had managed to outplay their opponents in the first half, leading 36 – 41.
But a completely different and much more aggressive Lithuanian team apparently returned from the locker rooms. Coach Kazlauskas’ players “spitted” fire from all corners, outscoring Nigeria 29 – 13 in the third quarter.
Once establishing a solid lead, Lietuva managed to keep its engines hot enough to always push back Nigeria’s efforts for a possible comeback.