Zalgiris qualifies to playoffs despite loss in Madrid 31
Real Madrid took a step forward in its race to claim home-court advantage in the playoffs by topping Zalgiris Kaunas 88-81 in the Spanish capital on Thursday. Madrid improved to 17-11 in the standings and Zalgiris dropped to 16-10.
Despite the loss, Zalgiris qualified for the playoffs for the first time since this phase returned to the competition in 2005.
Felipe Reyes led the winners with 16 points, Fabien Causeur added 14, Luka Doncic returned from injury to produce 11 points and 7 assists and Jaycee Carroll scored 10 for Madrid.
Paulius Jankunas led Zalgiris with 21 points, Arturas Milaknis added 14 and Kevin Pangos had 12 in defeat.
Randolph got Madrid going with free throws and Causeur added a driving basket, but Paulius Valinskas and Brandon Davies fueled a 0-8 run in which Jankunas hit a couple of jumpers for a 4-8 Zalgiris lead. Anthony Randolph and Walter Tavares rescued the hosts with consecutive dunks, igniting an 8-0 run which Rudy Fernandez capped with a jumper for a 12-8 Madrid edge. Antanas Kavaliauskas scored down low and Milaknis and Doncic traded triples, but Fernandez and Carroll extended Madrid’s lead to 19-13. A triple by Beno Udrih fixed the score at 19-16 after 10 minutes.
Udrih scored in penetration and a layup by Kavaliauskas gave Zalgiris the lead, 19-20. Reyes and Doncic combined for all the points in another 8-0 run, but Kavaliauskas singlehandedly kept Zalgiris within 29-24. Reyes took over with a three-point play and Thompkins downed a jumper, but Vasilije Micic rescued Zalgiris, Milaknis struck twice from beyond the arc and Aaron White added a corner triple that caused Madrid to call timeout at 36-37. Jankunas hit another jumper and even though Jeffery Taylor followed a triple with a layup, Micic and a red-hot Milaknis kept Zalgiris ahead, 41-44, at halftime.
A tip-in by Edgaras Ulanovas and a jumper by White made it 41-48 early in the second half. Facu Campazzo had 5 points in a 7-0 run that tied the game. Pangos tried to change things for the visitors, but back-to-back three-pointers by Causeur put Madrid ahead, 57-54. Causeur scored in penetration and Carroll added a floater, but Milaknis and Jankunas kept Zalgiris close at 61-60. An off-balance basket by Randolph and free throws by Reyes extended Madrid’s lead to 65-62 after 30 minutes.
Pangos hit a triple early in the fourth quarter, but Reyes scored three times around the basket and Carroll added free throws for a 73-67 Madrid lead. Jankunas and Pangos brought Zalgiris within 75-74, but Thompkins netted 6 unanswered points for a 81-74 lead with three minutes left. Jankunas scored down low, but a three-pointer by Fernandez sealed the outcome, 84-76, with over a minute remaining.
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