Zalgiris advances to semifinals from Nizhny Novgorod 0

Zalgiris (Lithuania) knocked off Nizhny Novgorod (Russia) on the road, 66-59, in Game 4 of their VTB United League Playoffs quarterfinal series to advance to the semifinals. The competition was fierce all night, but Kaunas’s experience won out in the end over the home team’s youthful exuberance. Zalgiris is back in the playoff semifinals for the first time since 2010.

Intro
For both teams, weakened by injuries and worn down by a packed schedule, playing with energy was the biggest concern coming into Game 4. Not surprisingly, a younger Nizhny Novgorod squad looked better in this area. Helped by the home crowd as well, Zoran Lukic’s club took an early 19-10 lead, thanks to eight points from its captain, Semen Antonov.

Zalgiris coach Joan Plaza made several substitutions to shake his team up, and began to mix man-to-man defense with zone, but it had little effect. The Zalgiris veterans were too worn out and the youngsters lacked the resolve to seize the initiative. Luckily for the Lithuanians, Nizhny allowed them back in the game. Several unnecessary turnovers and hurried shots gave Zalgiris a lifeline, as they closed to within three points at halftime, 31-28.

Both teams had plenty of turnovers, misses and fouls, with fewer and fewer points. Nizhny Novgorod held the lead for a while, but four fouls apiece to centers Artem Yakovenko and Pavel Korobkov proved a major blow. Mindaugas Kuzminskas and Oliver Lafayette first gave Zalgiris the lead from beyond the arc, before Lafeyette 3-pointers to close the third quarter and open the fourth staked the visitors to a six-point advantage, 50-44.

Turning Point
Nizhny Novgorod didn’t crumble. Evgeniy Baburin answered right back with a pair of long-range shots. The home team stayed in the game despite Yakovenko and Korobkov fouling out, but Zalgiris’s experience finally won out. Rimantas Kaukenas put Kaunas on top with 20 seconds to play, 62-59, and Evgeniy Baburin turned the ball over at the other end. Zalgiris made all its free throws in the final seconds to win, 66-59, and advance to the VTB United League Playoffs semifinals.

Star of the Game
Oliver Lafayette. The American was one of Zalgiris’s most active players. His three consecutive 3-pointers to end the third quarter and open the fourth proved the turning point in the game. He finished with a game-high 19 points.

Stat of the Game
26 – number of fouls committed by Nizhny Novgorod. This was a decisive factor. Zalgiris had 27 free-throw attempts, compared to eight for the home team, while Nizhny also lost its two centers in the fourth quarter due to foul trouble. A lack of available players kept the underdogs from closing out a much-needed win.

Top Performers
Nizhny Novgorod: Semen Antonov – 18 points, five rebounds, four assists; Evgeniy Baburin – 12 points, four steals; Semen Shashkov – nine points.

Zalgiris: Oliver Lafayette – 19 points; Mindaugas Kuzminskas – 15 points, seven rebounds; Ksistof Lavrinovic – 12 points.