Zalgiris cruises past Nizhy Novgorod at home 0

Zalgiris Kaunas registered its first win in Group A by overwhelming Nizhny Novgorod 97-63 at home on Friday. Both teams are now tied in Group A, each with a 1-1 record.

Paulius Jankunas led the winners with 13 points. Robertas Javtokas, Darius Songaila and James Anderson each added 12, Vaidas Kariniauskas got 11 while Arturas Gudaitis had 10 for Zalgiris.

A mid-range jumper by Tarence Kinsey gave Nizhny its last lead, 4-5. An 8-0 run that Kariniauskas capped with a layup put Zalgiris ahead for good, 12-5. Nizhny got within 19-17 on a layup by Will Daniels but Javtokas and Jankunas fueled a mammoth 19-2 run that broke the game open, 38-19, late in the first half. Back-to-back three-point plays by Jankunas and consecutive baskets by Javtokas gave Zalgiris a 48-24 edge at halftime.

Kinsey and Trey Thompkins managed to bring Nizhny within 52-38 soon after the break, but an outstanding Vytenis Lipkevicius led a 23-2 run that sealed the outcome, 75-40, late in the third quarter. Nothing changed in the final 10 minutes, as Zalgiris had plenty of time to celebrate a big win.

First quarter: Zalgiris starts strong

Anderson got Zalgiris going with a driving layup, but Art Parakhouski split free throws and added a big basket in the low post for a 2-3 Nizhny edge. Jankunas shined with a driving layup that Tarence Kinsey matched with a mid-range jumper. Anderson continued pushing Zalgiris with another basket and Arturas Gudaitis added a put-back layup for an 8-5 lead. Darius Songaila hit a jumper that Vaidas Kariniauskas followed with a layup off a steal for a 7-points Zalgiris lead after an 8-0 run. Parakhouski scored around the basket, but Anderson did better with a three-pointer. After Kinsey split free throws, Songaila scored again. A three-pointer by Trey Thompkins gave Nizhny hope at 17-11. Will Daniels made foul shots and Taylor Rochestie erased Javtokas’s basket with a floating jumper. Daniels shined with a backdoor layup, but a driving basket by Arturas Milaknis and a jump hook by Songaila gave Zalgiris a 23-17 margin after 10 minutes.

Second quarter: With improved defense, hosts break game open

Both teams struggled to score early in the quarter until Javtokas took over with his trademark old-school hook shot. Javtokas kept pacing Zalgiris with free throws that made it a double-digit game, 27-17. After Rochestie banked in a fallaway jumper, Gudaitis split free throws and a three-pointer by Jankunas ignited the crowd at 31-19. Jankunas scored in the low post to force Nizhny to call timeout at 33-19. The guests kept struggling to score and a two-handed dunk by Gudaitis broke the game open, 35-19. Edgaras Ulanovas split free throws and a driving layup by Kariniauskas made it a 19-point game after an 11-0 run. Nizhny was held scoreless for five minutes until Dimitriy Khvostov hit a mid-range jumper. Vladimir Ivlev scored down low, but back-to-back three-point plays by Jankunas boosted the hosts’ lead to 44-23. Javtokas singlehandedly gave Zalgiris a 48-24 halftime margin.

Third quarter: Nihzny tries, Zalgiris rolls

Parakhouski made free throws immediately after the break and soon added a mid-range jumper to trim the Nizhny deficit to 20. Rochestie struck from downtown and make Zalgirised call timeout at 48-31. Kinsey scored off a steal that capped a 0-9 Nizhny run. Kariniauskas stepped up for Zalgiris with a three-pointer and Anderson dunked off the baseline to keep Zalgiris out of trouble at 52-33. Kinsey scored again and a three-pointer by Thompkins brought Nizhny a bit closer, 52-38. Anderson stayed on fire with a three-point play and a layup by Songaila restored Zalgiris’s control. Lukas Lekavicius swished a mid-range shot and Lipkevicius followed a bomb from downtown with a layup-plus-foul that seemed to seal the outcome at 65-38. Lipkevicius scored in penetration and a free throw by Milaknis made it a 30-point game. Javtokas and Milaknis boosted the hosts’ lead to 75-42.

Fourth quarter: Celebrations start early

Everything was essentially settled already, but both teams kept fighting for points. Rochestie sank a jumper and a layup by Ivan Savelyev brought Nizhny within 75-46. Lekavicius answered with a three-point play, but Daniels scored again. A free throw by Lipkevicius restored a 79-48 Zalgiris lead. The hosts had started to use longer possessions to run the game clock down. Gudaitis and Khvostov exchanged free throws and a triple by Rochestie got Nizhny a bit closer, 82-53. After a Gudaitis dunk, Rochestie hit an acrobatic shot and Ivlev added a follow-up layup, but it was already too little, too late for the guests. Nizhny suffered its first-ever Euroleague loss, while the Zalgiris fans celebrated a very important home win.