Zalgiris Kaunas (13-15) lost a thriller in the EuroLeague Round 28. Andrea Trinchieri’s team missed the last shot against Baskonia Vitoria (12-16) on the road, and lost the game 65-66 (12-18, 18-20, 13-10, 22-18).
Donta Hall was Baskonia’s star performer with 11 points and 8 rebounds, as well as 3 blocks, while Markus Howard and Chima Moneke both chipped in with 13 points apiece. Zalgiris’ Ignas Brazdeikis netted 17 points and Alen Smailagic added 11 points.
Baskonia started hot and opened a 2-7 lead thanks to baskets by Moneke, Khalifa Diop and Tadas Sedekerskis, but Zalgiris soon tied it up after Smailagic’s offensive rebound and score made it 7-7. A Laurynas Birutis finish handed Zalgiris its first lead at 11-10, yet a strong finish to the period, capped by a block and a layup by Hall, ensured it was 12-18 after 10 minutes.
Sylvain Francisco, who didn’t make a field goal in the first quarter, netted from mid-range to start the second, then Brazdeikis kept his impressive start going by scoring five points in quick succession as Zalgiris cut Baskonia’s lead to two points at 21-23. Birutis and Bryant Dunston tied it at 23-23 and 25-25, but a couple of threes by Trent Forrest gave Baskonia breathing room at 28-33. Another triple, this time by Nikos Rogkavopoulos, to end the half gave Baskonia a 30-38 advantage at the break.
Zalgiris came into this game as the best-ranked defense in the EuroLeague and it showed why in the early stages of the third, going on a 6-1 run inside the opening four minutes to reduce the margin to three points, 36-39. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Hall combined to put Baskonia 38-44 ahead, but back-to-back scores by Isaiah Wong, making his Zalgiris and EuroLeague debut, made it 43-44. However, a put-back layup by Moneke and a couple of free throws by Hall gave Baskonia a 43-48 lead entering the fourth.
The game looked like it was going to get away from Zalgiris when Markus Howard, who had gone 0 for 4 from deep through the first three quarters, drained two three-pointers in a row to put Baskonia in control at 47-56. Zalgiris responded, though, as Dovydas Giedraitis scored a layup, Alen Smailagic converted a three-point play and Francisco made a deep three to make it 55-57. Luka Samanic hit back, but another three, this time from Smailagic, made it a one-point ballgame at 58-59. Zalgiris ended up taking the lead at 62-61 for just the second time on the night thanks to Brazdeikis’s offensive board and stick-back, but Howard’s three off the glass at the end of the shot clock calmed down any nerves at 62-64. Smailagic split free throws and then scored a layup to put Zalgiris 65-64 ahead, but Luwawu-Cabarrot’s turnaround jumper from mid-range ended up being the final score with 21 seconds remaining.
