Zalgiris Kaunas (17-1), playing without five of its starting players, recorded another victory in the Lithuanian Basketball League. Tomas Masiulis’s team defeated Gargzdai (7-11) 69-63 (14-12, 19-14, 18-19, 18-18) on the road.
Ignas Brazdeikis opened the scoring with a mid-range shot, Dovydas Giedraitis added a free throw, and Deividas Sirvydis scored from long range, 6-2. Edgaras Ulanovas found Dustin Sleva cutting under the basket, and Sirvydis finished a fast break after stealing the ball, 10-8. Dominykas Daubaris ended the first quarter with 4 points, 14-12.
Sirvydis scored 5 points at the start of the second quarter, while Brazdeikis and Ulanovas increased the lead to 23-14. Ulanovas made free throws, and Laurynas Birutis was big underneath, 27-20. Nigel Williams-Goss and Brazdeikis added 3 points each, but the difference did not grow in the first half of the game due to 8 missed free throws, 33-26.
At the start of the third quarter, Sirvydis and Birutis scored 4 points each, 41-31. Brazdeikis beat the opponent’s defense, and Birutis made a dunk, 45-35. Sleva, Mantas Rubstavicius, and Williams-Goss each scored 2 points, but Gargzdai was still close, 51-45.
Ulanovas made free throws, Giedraitis broke through under the basket, but the hosts had closed the gap to 55-51. Then Sirvydis scored with a foul, Williams-Goss lobbed the ball for Birutis’ dunk, Brazdeikis scored easy points, and Sleva hit only the second three-pointer for Zalgiris, 65-52. A little later, Sleva scored after a beautiful pass from Williams-Goss, Giedraitis scored (69-57), and the difference only narrowed at the very end of the match, 69-63.
Sirvydis was the leading player for Zalgiris with 17 points and 9 rebounds. Brazdeikis finished with 11 points.
