Zalgiris stops Crvena Zvezda at home 18

In a replay of their rescheduled Round 24 game, Zalgiris Kaunas saved an essential home win by outlasting Crvena Zvezda Belgrade 75-62 on Tuesday. Zalgiris lifted its record to 14-11 while Zvezda fell to 7-17 with its sixth consecutive defeat.

Marius Grigonis led the winners with 17 points and 6 assists, while Nigel Hayes added 16 and Augustine Rubit 15.

Zvezda got 16 apiece from Jordan Loyd and Marko Simonovic.

With a triple each, Hayes and Lloyd scored all the points in an early 5-5 tie. Aleksa Uskokovic put Zvezda ahead briefly before Lauvergne and Hayes made it 10-7 for the hosts. Marko Jagoric-Kuridza kept Zvezda close and Marko Simonovic’s 5 points in a row shot the visitors in front, 16-18. Hayes and Ognjen Dobric traded baskets before Simonovic measured off 2 more triples as Zvezda held a 22-26 advantage after 10 minutes.

Simonovic hit 3 free throws to open the second quarter and Dejan Davidovac buried from long distance for a sudden 22-32 advantage. Zvezda’s scrambling defense kept blanking Zalgiris as Dobric joined the visitors’ three-point party. Lauvergne ended the hosts’ four-minute drought but Jagoric-Kuridza answered with a put-back. Hayes reappeared from the arc and Grigonis copied him for his first points to make it 30-39. Rubit kept it going for Zalgiris and Grigonis buried another triple to complete a 13-4 run to within 35-39. Simonovic restarted Zvezda’s offense and Uskokovic hit from deep as the visitors took a 40-44 advantage into halftime.

Uskokovic and Branko Lazic boosted the difference to 50-45 after halftime before Rubit and Grigonis, with a step-back three, took it all back. Grigonis stole and hit free throws for Zalgiris’ first lead, 52-50, since 16-15 of the first quarter. Hayes then buried a triple to make it 55-50. Dobric ended Zalgiris’ 20-0 run from deep and Lauvergne replied with a hook shot. Loyd took a feed from Davidovac for a layup and then beat the buzzer from deep to keep Zvezda within 60-58 after 30 minutes.

Rubit broke 2 scoreless minutes to start the fourth quarter and then Paulius Jankunas tipped in a miss at 64-58, prompting a Zvezda timeout. Rubit and Jankunas kept it going to 68-58 before Loyd stole and finished to break a long drought for the visitors. But Thomas Walkup converted a three-point play next, and with just 3 minutes left, that was too much for Zvezda to recoup.