Lauvergne explodes to guide Zalgiris to the KMT final 7

Zalgiris successfully began their Citadele King Mindaugas Cup title defense, as they started off the Final Four with an 84-72 win against Neptunas. The green-and-whites will now move on to the final, where they face hosts Lietkabelis this Sunday.

It wasn’t quite the start Zalgiris had hoped for, as their opponents raced off to a 7-nothing lead. The rally back had to begin early, as Neptunas were up 15-21 after the opening quarter.

Zalgiris managed to get in front in the next period, as Joffrey Lauvergne took matters to his own hands. The Frenchman single-handedly propelled Zalgiris, as it was closing in to be a nail-biting affair.

While the two teams were more or less level-pegged before the final quarter, a good run allowed Zalgiris to build up a double-digit lead which proved to be insurmountable.

Joffrey Lauvergne recorded an impressive double-double with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Captain Paulius Jankunas added 12 points and 6 boards, as Thomas Walkup and Augustine Rubit ended up with 8 points apiece.