VTB United League: Zalgiris beats Lokomotiv for a second time 0

In Week 10 of the VTB United League regular season, Lithuanian Zalgiris defeated Russian Lokomotiv-Kuban at home, 89-81. The home team seized control from the beginning and secured a comfortable cushion by halftime, which allowed them to ride the game out to victory.

Intro
The game had great pace from the opening minutes on the court. The Lithuanians set a feverish tempo with fast breaks and drives to the basket early in possessions. The visitors tried at first to hold their own, looking to go through Aleks Maric. But they ultimately had to accept their opponent’s rules. Initially, Tremmell Darden did all the damage for Zalgiris, while fellow American Derrick Brown led the Railwaymen on offense. The forward scored, rebounded, and assisted, staying at the center of the action.

Despite Brown’s performance, the home-court advantage had a positive effect on Zalgiris’s game. The hosts were a bit faster, more accurate, and more successful. All those little things contributed to a growing lead. The Lithuanians’ advantage at first was nominal, but beginning at the end of the first period it grew more and more rapidly, reaching double digits, then twenty points, 46-26.

The visitors tried to change their defense and shuffle their lineup, but couldn’t make any significant progress. The powerful Kaunas club sliced up their defense like a knife through hot butter. Maric’s three fouls in the early-going helped, as the Railwaymen’s defensive lynchpin lost needed aggression protecting the rim. When another Kuban leader Nicholas Calathes received his third foul, the visitors’ chances looked rather slim.

Turning Point
The first half of the game ended in a 25-point advantage for the home team – 59-34. The Krasnodar club needed to make up the deficit from the beginning of the third quarter, which Evgeny Pashutin’s men set out to do in earnest. In just three minutes, Calathes and co. chopped ten points off the Lithuanians’ lead and didn’t stop there. Lokomotiv strengthened their charge, getting Maric involved, and began moving the ball more quickly. An incredible 3-pointer from Baron at the end of the third quarter brought some drama back to the game – 73-63.

Unfortunately for the visitors, their furious comeback sapped their energy. Having won back two more points to start the final period, the Krasnodar club could do no more. Unnecessary mistakes, hurried shots, and foolish fouls sunk Loko’s chances. The Lithuanians didn’t press, but even their traditional offense, helped by some good fortune, was enough for the home team to avoid a close ending and win handily.

Star of the Game
Marko Popovic. The Croatian guard had far from his best shooting performance. All the same, the nimble playmaker made a difference when it mattered most. Popovic scored the bulk of his points in the second half, including five points at the end of the fourth quarter, which de facto turned the tide in Zalgiris’s favor.

Stat of the Game
19 – number of Lokomotiv-Kuban turnovers. Their generosity cost them the game, given that most of the turnovers ended in fast breaks for the Lithuanians, especially during the home team’s second-quarter romp. Three of the Krasnodar players split 14 of the mistakes – Calathes, Kalnietis, and Brown.

Top Performers
Zalgiris: Ksistof Lavrinovic – 16 points.
Lokomotiv-Kuban: Derrick Brown – 20 points, nine assists, eight rebounds.