Barca’s closing run beat host Zalgiris 58
Zalgiris Kaunas (5-11) lost in Round 16 of the 2023-24 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season after a hard-fought battle. Kazys Maksvytis’ team took a defeat from FC Barcelona (11-5) with the score 80-85 (22-28, 29-28, 22-14, 7-15) at Zalgirio Arena.
The visitors scored the first 5 points, but Keenan Evans soon answered with the same, Rolands Smits added 4 points, and after Edgars Ulanovas’ successful post play, the opponents called for a timeout, 11-5. Smits hit a three-pointer, Edmond Sumner broke through under the basket, but FC Barcelona followed with a successful stretch, 16-21. Two dunks by Laurynas Birutis and another raid by Sumner ended the first quarter at 22-28.
Another dunk by Birutis and a three-pointer with the foul by Evans tied the score at 28-28. Tomas Dimsa, Birutis and Austin Hollins each scored 3 points and Zalgiris pulled ahead 37-30. Ulanovas scored a two-pointer with a foul, but FC Barcelona responded with a spurt of their own, 40-44. Birutis added 4 more points, Ulanovas and Dimsa converted free throws, the captain also made a long-range shot, but the guests finished the first half with their 10th three-pointer, 51-56.
The third period opened with 4 points by Evans, a score by Ulanovas and two long-range shots by Dovydas Giedraitis, 63-62. Birutis continued to terrorize his opponents and scored his 17th point, 67-62. Ulanovas made a free throw, Sumner made 3 of 5 from the line, and Danielius Lavrinovicius scored from under the basket, 73-70.
In the first 5 minutes of the fourth quarter, only Ulanovas and Smits scored for Zalgiris, 77-77. After an unsportsmanlike foul by FC Barcelona, Birutis scored one free throw and Smits added a layup, 80-77. Unfortunately, that was the last points for the Zalgiris in this game, 80-85.
Birutis scored a career-high 18 points for Zalgiris while Ulanovas added 15, Evans 13 and Smits 11 points.
The visitors got 18 points from Nicolas Laprovittola, 15 from Jan Vesely, 12 from Nikola Kalinic and 10 from Tomas Satoransky. Kalinic and Laprovittola hit 4 triples each.
Facebook comments