By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Zalgiris Kaunas prevailed over Darussafaka 66-69 in Istanbul and improved its record to 8-12, while the Turkish team has 10 wins and 10 losses after 20 games.
Kevin Pangos was the leading scorer for the winners, with 14 points and 3 assists.
The two teams played very tough defense on each other in the first quarter, with Zalgiris leading the first period 14-16. The hosts were down by 4 early in the second period, yet they managed to trim the deficit and surpass with a pair of free throws by Ante Zizic (4 points) (24-23). Zalgiris held on to the game and even expanded its lead and went to the lockers with a 31-38 advantage.
And it wasn’t surprising, as the Lithuanian team had a 50% accuracy from the 3-point line after 20 minutes.
In the second half, Pangos was a key player for Sarunas Jasikevicius’ team, scoring clutch baskets throughout the third period. Luke Haragondy (3 points) dropped the deficit to two points, yet Zalgiris restored it and led 49-55 after 30 minutes.
Tough as nails, the visiting team kept its lead throughout the final period, even when Darussafaka approached at 4 points again with less than two minutes. Pangos hit a very important long distance shot and gave his team a safety net, entering the final minute of the game.