Zalgiris Kaunas (5-1) defeated Crvena Zvezda Belgrade (3-3) by 86-84 (24-18, 23-15, 19-24, 20,-27) in EuroLeague Round 6, with Bryant Dunston becoming the hero after scoring the game-winning basket for the Lithuanian side.

Deividas Sirvydis scored 14 of his game-high – and career-high – 17 points in the first half, with Zalgiris teammates Sylvain Francisco netting 15 and Alen Smailagic adding 14.

For Crvena Zvezda, Codi Miller-McIntyre and Uros Plavsic had 16 points, which is a career-best mark for the center. Nemanja Nedovic also finished with 15 points.

Miller-McIntyre had a hot start to the game, scoring 5 early points, but back-to-back three-pointers by Brady Manek gave Zalgiris an 11-8 lead. When Dunston stole the ball from Nedovic and dished to Dovydas Giedraitis for a layup, making it 15-12, the roof almost came off Zalgirio Arena. In the closing stages of the first period, Sirvydis started to catch fire, scoring a triple off an out-of-bounds play and getting the shooter’s role on another three-pointer to put Zalgiris 24-16 ahead, with the score 24-18 after 10 minutes.

Despite Crvena Zvezda cutting the gap to two points, 24-22, after scores by Isaiah Canaan and Dejan Davidovac, Zalgiris quickly punched back through Smailagic or Francisco, who combined to help the hosts open the game’s largest lead at 33-24. It became a double-digit game when Dunston scored a tip-in, and Sirvydis scored 7 points in the final 3:28 of the quarter to help Zalgiris pull away and hold a 47-33 edge at the halftime interval.

The start of the third quarter saw Miller-McIntyre and Nedovic look to bring Crvena Zvezda back into the game, reducing the gap to 48-43. Francisco was leaving his fingerprints all over the game for Zalgiris, scoring layups and getting to the line, but the visitors were starting to get Plavsic more involved inside, which was paying off. Still, a layup by Sirvydis – off an assist from the Frenchman – and a three-pointer by Francisco in the final minute reopened a double-digit margin, 66-55. Nedovic’s floater on the run made it 66-57 entering the final frame.

Nedovic, Plavsic and Nikola Kalinic combined to help Crvena Zvezda go on a 2-9 run to make it 68-66. Smailagic, another Serbian but wearing the jersey of Zalgiris, got his team back on the board with a layup in which he caught Kalinic in the face, but it was deemed that it was part of his natural motion. Although he missed the and-one, he grabbed the offensive rebound and dunked, giving him 4 points in a hurry, 72-66. Canaan then scored 5 points in 23 seconds to make it 74-71, but Francisco and Arnas Butkevicius gave Zalgiris breathing room again, 78-71. Plavsic became key for the Serbian side down the stretch, scoring 7 points in some crucial moments as Crvena Zvezda levelled it at 79-79.

Plavsic then got to 9 fourth-quarter points with 13 seconds to go, 82-81, but Francisco’s 2 free throws made it a three-point ballgame, 84-81, with 11 seconds to go. Miller-McIntyre stunned the home crowd with a triple that set an 84-84 score, but Dunston’s one-handed desperation shot dropped, sending the home fans into raptures and wrapping up an 86-84 win.