Zalgiris gets the win against ASVEL 10

Zalgiris Kaunas recorded its second consecutive win by topping ASVEL Villeurbanne 70-56 in front of almost 15,000 fans at Zalgirio Arena on Friday. Both teams now have a 2-2 record in the regular season standings.

Zach LeDay led the winners with 13 points. Thomas Walkup added 12, Marius Grigonis 11 and Arturas Milaknis 10.

Antoine Diot got ASVEL going with a three-pointer and Charles Kahudi soon added a jumper for a 2-5 lead. Grigonis struck from downtown but a layup by Tonye Jekiri ignited a 0-7 run which Diot capped with a driving basket for a 5-12 score. Leday and Grigonis stepped up for Zalgiris, combining for 7 quick points to keep their team within 12-14. David Lighty buried a triple and Edwin Jackson added a jumper to restore a 14-20 ASVEL lead after 10 minutes.

Walkup took over early in the second quarter with 4 quick points and Milaknis added a catch-and-shoot triple and a coast-to-coast dunk. ASVEL kept struggling to score while a layup by LeDay and a three-pointer by Grigonis boosted the hosts’ lead to 28-20, after a 14-0 run. Livio Jean-Charles hit a jumper but Lukas Lekavicius and Milaknis kept Zalgiris way ahead, 32-24. Kahudi and Diot brought ASVEL a bit closer, 33-28, at halftime.

Walkup hit a corner triple soon after the break and Paulius Jankunas added his trademark jumper from the elbow for a 38-30 Zalgiris lead. A layup by LeDay soon made it a double-digit game, 41-30, forcing ASVEL to call timeout. Walkup struck again from beyond the arc and Jankunas added a driving layup, but Jekiri and Amine Noua kept the guests within 46-36. Lighty and Rihards Lomasz each hit a three-pointer and Noua added a layup to give ASVEL hope at 52-45. Milaknis beat the third-quarter buzzer with a triple that restored a 55-45 Zalgiris margin after 30 minutes.

Edgaras Ulanovas scored in the low post midway through the fourth quarter and a jumper by Nigel Hayes made it a 12-point game, 59-47, with 4 minutes left. Walkup downed a step-back jumper, LeDay scored again and a three-pointer by Ulanovas sealed the outcome.