Zalgiris struggles in offense in EuroLeague opener 33
Zalgiris Kaunas opened the 2019-20 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season with a home loss 58-70 against Baskonia Vitoria in front of a sellout crowd of 15,151 fans at Zalgirio Arena on Friday.
Shavon Shields led the winners with 19 points. Toko Shengelia added 13 while Matt Janning and Luca Vildoza each had 10 for Baskonia.
Lukas Lekavicius and Marius Grigonis led Zalgiris with 10 points apiece.
Shields got Baskonia going with a jumper which Patricio Garino followed with a three-pointer for a 2-5 lead. Zach LeDay stepped up with a turnaround jumper and Grigonis struck from downtown to tie the game, 7-7. Vildoza and Shields each hit a mid-range shot before a driving layup by Shengelia restored a 9-13 Baskonia lead. Baskonia reached its foul limit Zalgiris made the most out of it as free throws by LeDay and Ulanovas ignited an 8-0 run that Landale capped with a jump hook at 17-13. Shields stepped up for the guests and a layup by Pierria Henry tied it, 19-19, after 10 minutes.
Achille Polonara hit a fallaway jumper early in the second quarter and Michael Eric erased Arturas Milaknis’s triple with a layup-plus-free throw good for a 22-24 Baskonia edge. Grigonis buried a three-pointer but Shields singlehandedly kept the guests ahead, 25-28. Janning, Shields and Vildoza swished a three-pointer apiece to make it a double-digit game, 27-37. Grigonis answered from downtown to get Zalgiris within 30-37 at halftime.
Lekavicius and Landale tried to change things for the hosts after the break but an unstoppable Shengelia and a put-back dunk by Youssoupha Fall made Zalgiris call timeout at 34-46. Landale and Ulanovas rescued Zalgiris, and Grigonis gave the hosts hope at 42-48. Thomas Walkup and LeDay each hit a one-handed shot but Janning followed a triple with a jumper for a 46-55 Baskonia lead after 30 minutes.
Milaknis struck twice from downtown early in the fourth quarter and Landale added another triple that brought Zalgiris within 55-59. Shengelia scored in penetration and a three-point play by Vildoza gave Baskonia fresh air at 55-64. Shields and Vildoza kept pacing Baskonia until a layup by Shengelia rounded out the guests’ win.
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