Fourth quarter charge allows Zalgiris to down CSKA 30

A sensational final period allowed Zalgiris Kaunas to record a hugely impressive 85-73 victory over CSKA Moscow on a thrilling night at the Zalgirio Arena.

The home team led most of the way but was only up by two points early in the fourth quarter, when a spectacular 16-0 surge put the game out of reach and improved Zalgiris to 17-12 with one round remaining, while table-topping CSKA drops to 23-6.

Kevin Pangos led the offense with 15 points and 11 assists, including a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. The home team also had a trio of big performances inside, with Brandon Davies contributing 17 points and 5 rebounds, Antanas Kavaliauskas providing 11 points and 5 rebounds and veteran Paulius Jankunas adding 13 points.

Only two players scored in double figures for CSKA: Nando De Colo had 18 points, while Kyle Hines added 12. Zalgiris had 19 assists compared to just 11 for CSKA, and the visitors were restricted to just 5-of-21 (23.8%) three-point attempts by an outstanding Zalgiris defense.

Hines shone early with a pair of lay-ups, but Pangos struck from deep for Zalgiris and the home team moved ahead through a driving basket from Vasilije Micic. That was quickly answered by Andrey Vorontsevich but Pangos then hit another triple and Kavaliauskas made free throws for a 14-10 edge. Semen Antonov and Will Clyburn came off the bench to level, but Davies and Kavaliauskas scored from close range and before Beno Udrih hit a buzzer-beating triple to make it 23-18.

Othello Hunter and Davies scored from close range at the start of the second, before Sergio Rodriguez and Edgaras Ulanovas traded baskets as Zalgiris stayed ahead. Jankunas scored 7 points in a hurry, including a left-handed lay-up plus one, and another driving score from Micic made it 36-27 midway through the quarter. Mid-range jumpers from Leo Westermann and Hines reduced the deficit, and Victor Rudd finally scored CSKA’s first three-pointer with 17 minutes played. Then De Colo netted from long-range and the visitors were back within 3. Another three-point play from Jankunas steadied Zalgiris, and Pangos moved into double figures with a mid-range jumper before Ulanovas scored a transition lay-up and one to make it 48-39, but Westermann allowed his team to enter the locker rooms on a high with a half-court buzzer-beater.

Arturas Milaknis scored the first basket in a slow start to the second half, before Clyburn got CSKA moving with a baseline lay-up, Rudd hit a corner three and Cory Higgins made a steal and fastbreak slam to make it 51-49. Davies scored down low but Higgins and Clyburn drove to score again to make it a one-point game. De Colo netted a backdoor lay-up to give CSKA its first lead of the second half and complete a 3-11 run, but Micic immediately got Zalgiris back in front from the foul line. Udrih’s steal and fastbreak lay-up changed the momentum, and Udrih produced another driving score before De Colo hit a buzzer-beating three to make it 64-60 after three quarters.

De Colo netted again at the start of the fourth but then Zalgiris took off: Aaron White started the run with a put-back slam and a three-point play from Davies stretched the lead to 7. An unsportsmanlike foul on Clyburn allowed White to score from the foul line, and a deep three from Pangos gave Zalgiris its first double-digit lead at 74-62. Milaknis added another triple and a lay-up from Kavaliauskas completed a 16-0 run to break the game wide open. Hines stopped the rot with an alley-oop lay-up but Udrih netted a jumper to settle any nerves, and CSKA was never able to threaten a comeback in the final stages.