LKL regular season ended with a loss 0

Zalgiris Kaunas finished Lithuanian League‘s (LKL) regular season with a tough loss at home. On Saturday the greens lost against Lietuvos Rytas in Zalgiris arena 84:86 (23:13, 25:21, 16:23, 20:29). Kaunas team ended the first stage of a tournament with 14 wins and 6 losses.

Arturas Milaknis began the match with a successful mid-range jumper, but Darius Songaila equalised the result (2-2). Then Zalgiris scored 10 points in a row and forced the coach of Vilnius team to ask for an early time-out (12-2). After provoking the foul Justin Dentmon collected two points from the free-throw line, Lietuvos Rytas responded with couple great shots and cut the lead to five points (14-9). Then the role of leadership was taken by Kaunas team captain Paulius Jankunas. He hit the three-pointer, threw two free-throws, made an assist for the youngster Arturas Gudaitis and finished the quarter by scoring two points on a fast break helping Zalgiris to retrieve a double-digit advantage – 23-13.

Martynas Pocius involved himself in the game by provoking unsportsmanlike foul and making a two-pointer, Robertas Javtokas made a hook shot, Sarunas Jasikevicius hit a mid-range jumper, Dentmon made both free-throws and the advantage grew to eleven points – 32-21. After two great episodes by Tadas Klimavicius and the two-pointer of Javtokas the advantage reached a new record tag – 38-24. Zalgiris played confidently at the end of a second quarter and sustained the lead – 48-34.

In the third quarter Zalgiris was unable to score for a little more than three minutes and the deficit of Lietuvos Rytas was cut to eight points (48-40). The captain Jankunas opened the greens account with a three-pointer while Pocius used his speed and returned a double-digit lead – 53-42. Zalgiris made some unsuccessful attacks and allowed Vilnius team to come dangerously close (53-46). Then Dentmon reminded about himself by hitting a long distance shot, Jasikevicius made both free-throws (58-48). The advantage was reduced to four points, but the end of the quarter belonged to Jasikevicius who made mid-range shot with a foul and the difference before the decisive quarter was seven points – 64-57.

Jasikevicius continued his great performance at the beginning of the fourth period. The point guard hit the three-pointer, Jankunas made both free throws, but the opponents of Zalgiris kept collecting points (69-63). Although Pocius and captain Jankunas were rising Kaunas team fans from their seats with their effective offensive episodes, Lietuvos Rytas players made long distance shot, hit two free throws and cut the Zalgiris‘ advantage to three points (77-74). An initiative was taken by Javtokas. After assists of Vytenis Cizauskas and Jasikevicius he collected four points – 81-74. However, at the end of the match Zabian Dowdell sent Zalgiris to an unfortunate situation. American scored two points with a foul, Jasikevicius was fined with a technical foul and Vilnius team took the lead (83-81). At the end of the game fans saw a real drama – Javtokas made one free throw of two while Dentmon made two free throws of three (84-84). Lietuvos Rytas held the last attack. Dowdell assisted the ball to Antanas Kavaliauskas who scored a decisive two-pointer – 84-86.

Top scorers:

Zalgiris: P.Jankunas 22+11reb+3stl, J.Dentmon 16+4ast, R.Javtokas 11+6reb, S.Jasikevicius 10, M.Pocius 9, V.Lipkevicius 4+8reb, T.Klimavicius 4, A.Milaknis 4, A.Gudaitis 2, M.Kupsas 1, V.Cizauskas 1, T.Dimsa 0.

Lietuvos rytas: Z.Dowdell 18, R.Seibutis 14+4ast, S.Jelovac 14, J.Palacios 10.