Unics advance to VTB final, Zalgiris to play for third 0
Zalgiris unbeaten run, stretching from Ramunas Butautas arrival ended with a 65:75 defeat by Unics Kazan in the VTB United League Final Four in Kaunas. Fellow Lithuanian coach Valderas Chomicius’ team will face CSKA Moscow, while Zalgiris will face off against BC Khimki.
Tadas Klimavicius led Zalgiris with 17 points and 7 rebounds, but was only 1 of 6 from beyond the three-point line. Zalgiris’ captain Dainius Salenga finished with 15 as Martynas Pocius and Mirza Begic collected 10 each.
Croatian prospect Mario Delas marked his debut in Zalgiris with two points and spent a reasonable amount of time on the court.
The hosts started the game better and took a 7:2 lead early in the game. However, Unics were quick to bounce back and got in front using a 13:0 run Maciej Lampe’s points increased the difference to 8 – 15:7.
Tadas Klimavicius had got Zalgiris within 1 point at 38:39 in the beginning of the second half, but the Lithuanian club failed to convert easy opportunities and open shots. The team from Kazan, led by former Zalgiris player Marko Popovic’s effort played another successful stretch to find themselves already in a 13 point lead with the score at 40:53.
Zalgiris managed close the distance to 52:59, but Klimavicius’ basket was answered by an and-one play by Kresimir Loncar, which made the game double-digit once again (62:52).
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