Zalgiris gets off to a winning start in the playoffs 2

Zalgiris Kaunas started the Betsafe-LKL playoffs on a good note. Playing their home game in Kedainiai, the defending champions defeated M Basket-Delamode Mazeikiai 97-61 (17-26, 25-15, 28-5, 27-15) and took the lead I best-of-3 quarter-final series.

Zalgiris fans had to wait 2 minutes for the first points when Edgaras Ulanovas went hard, but the opponents had already scored 8, 2-8. Dovydas Giedraitis and Rolanda Smits scored from mid-range, while Ulanovas and Smits added 4 more points each, reducing the gap to 14-18. In the last 3 minutes of the first quarter, only Edmond Sumner and Kevarrius Hayes scored for Kaunas, 17-26.

The second quarter opened with a layup by Ulanovas, Evans sank 4 free throws and after three-pointers by Ulanovas, Demetre Rivers and Evans, Zalgiris was already ahead 32-29. Hayes scored from under the basket, Rivers made a long-range shot, and Smits scored 5 points in a row to make it 42-36. However, by the halftime, the lead of Kaunas team was minimal, 42-41.

At the beginning of the third quarter, Evans and Birutis scored 4 points each, while Rivers added two three-pointers and two free throws, 58-45. Zalgiris was playing great defense and continued to widen the gap after layups by Birutis, Brady Manek and powerful dunks by Sumner and Hayes, 68-45. The quarter was ended by Tomas Dimsa’s free throws, 70-46.

Lekavicius started the fourth quarter with a three-pointer, Birutis scored 6 points, Giedraitis made a long-range shot and Brady Manek added 4 points, 88-50. Birutis dominated the paint, Dimsa scored a three-pointer from the corner, Hayes and Danielius Lavrinovicius added buckets for the final score of 97-61.

Birutis and Rivers were the best scorers with 14 points each, while Ulanovas, Evans and Smits collected 11 points apiece.