2016-17Regular SeasonRound 15
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan 70
Zalgiris Kaunas 78
December 29, 2016 CET: 20:45
Local time: 20:45 MEDIOLANUM FORUM
Arturas Milaknis - Zalgiris Kaunas - EB16

Fourth quarter heroics deliver Zalgiris victory in Milan

Zalgiris Kaunas delivered a powerful fourth quarter to improve to 6-9 with a 70-78 victory at Mediolanum Forum over EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, which slipped to 4-11 with its eighth consecutive loss. Zalgiris led the entire first half before Ricky Hickman and Rakim Sanders inspired a 13-0 run for Milan and the game was tied at 56-56 after three quarters. But Arturas Milaknis started the fourth quarter with a pair of triples and Zalgiris surged clear to protect its lead for good. In total Milaknis nailed 4 three-pointers to lead his team with 16 points. Edgaras Ulanovas added 11 and veteran Paulius Jankunas came close to a double-double with 11 rebounds and 9 points, while Kevin Pangos dished 7 assists. Playing against his former team, Mantas Kalnietis led Milan with 16 points, while Hickman and Sanders netted 15 apiece – most of them in the third quarter.

Zalgiris moved into an early lead as Pangos and Ulanovas connected on three-point shots, and a big slam from Augusto Lima made it 4-12 to underline the visiting team’s solid start. Milan responded with young Simone Fontecchio’s jumper and a triple from Kalnietis narrowing the gap. Zalgiris moved ahead 18-26 early in the second as Brock Motum struck from long-range, but again Milan came back and Sanders helped make it 33-36 at half-time. The second half started with a pair of triples from Milaknis to extend Zalgiris’s lead, but after a lengthy technical delay, Sanders scored 8 quick points in a 13-0 run to give Milan its first lead. Zalgiris gradually regained its composure and the third quarter finished with the game tied at 56-56, despite three triples in the quarter from Hickman. Milaknis started the fourth quarter with another pair of three-pointers to restore Zalgiris’s lead, which advanced to double figures after another long-range strike from Pangos. With Sanders out of the game injured, this time there was no way back for the host as Zalgiris managed the clock well to restrict the home team’s possessions, closing out a hard-earned road win.

Thursday, December 29, 2016
Euroleague.net
Referees: ROCHA, FERNANDO; LOTTERMOSER, ROBERT; FOUFIS, IOANNIS
Attendance: 9851
By Quarter1234
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan16172314
Zalgiris Kaunas21152022
End of Quarter1234
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan16335670
Zalgiris Kaunas21365678
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
1 MCLEAN, JAMEL 26:23 2 1/2   0/2   3 3 5 2 2     5 2 4
2 FONTECCHIO, SIMONE 9:26 2 1/1 0/2                   3 1 -2
7 HICKMAN, RICKY 33:15 15 1/6 3/5 4/5 1 2 3 2 1 2     3 4 12
9 KALNIETIS, MANTAS 23:52 16 4/8 2/2 2/2 1   1   1 5 1   1 2 11
11 RADULJICA, MIROSLAV 10:56         1 1 2 1 1 4     2 3 1
12 DRAGIC, ZORAN 25:24 10 4/6 0/4 2/3 3 1 4   2 3 2   5 2 5
13 MACVAN, MILAN 22:35 8 2/2 0/2 4/4 1 2 3 1 2       3 5 14
14 PASCOLO, DAVIDE 10:54 2 1/3     2 1 3           3    
20 CINCIARINI, ANDREA 6:45   0/2       1 1 1   1     1   -2
21 SANDERS, RAKIM 24:08 15 6/9 1/3 0/2   5 5 1 2 1 2   3 1 15
23 ABASS, AWUDU 6:22     0/2   1   1 1   1         -1
30 CERELLA, BRUNO DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Team           2 2 4               4
Totals 200:00 70 20/39 6/20 12/18 12 18 30 12 11 19 5 0 29 20 61
        51.3% 30% 66.7%
Head coach: REPESA, JASMIN
Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating
Zalgiris Kaunas
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
3 PANGOS, KEVIN 25:39 6 0/2 2/2   1 1 2 7 2 3   1 2 3 12
4 LEKAVICIUS, LUKAS 16:11 9 2/3   5/6       1   2     1 5 10
6 VALINSKAS, PAULIUS DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
9 WESTERMANN, LEO 27:55 2 0/1 0/3 2/2   1 1 5 2 2   1   2 5
10 SEIBUTIS, RENALDAS 5:12 2   0/1 2/2   1 1     1       1 2
12 MOTUM, BROCK 25:31 9 1/6 1/2 4/4 2   2 2 1     1 4 4 7
13 JANKUNAS, PAULIUS 26:36 9 2/10 1/2 2/2 1 10 11 2   3   2 3 6 11
15 JAVTOKAS, ROBERTAS 7:17 4 2/2       2 2   1 1     3 1 4
21 MILAKNIS, ARTURAS 21:18 16   4/6 4/4 1 1 2   1 1     2 3 17
23 LIMA, AUGUSTO 12:49 6 2/4   2/2 1 1 2 1 2 2     2 2 7
44 KAVALIAUSKAS, ANTANAS 7:10 4 2/2               1     4   -1
92 ULANOVAS, EDGARAS 24:22 11 4/4 1/1   1 3 4 1 2 3     1 1 15
Team           2 1 3               3
Totals 200:00 78 15/34 9/17 21/22 9 21 30 19 11 19 0 5 22 28 92
        44.1% 52.9% 95.5%
Head coach: JASIKEVICIUS, SARUNAS

Head Coaches

REPESA, JASMIN
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan
"It's a frustrating loss, for everybody because we tried, but couldn't come out with a win. I'm still determined to get out of this, but we need to stay calm. The pressure is high because this is a great organization and the expectations are very high. But the pressure is huge and some of our guys are feeling it. [Zalgiris] made their open shots and we didn't with the exception of Hickman. Raduljica probably is feeling the pressure more than anybody else because obviously he's not the player we are seeing now."
JASIKEVICIUS, SARUNAS
Zalgiris Kaunas
"Every game is a big win in this EuroLeague – you never know when your next win will come so every win is huge. We lost our composure when we went 9 up. We were not tough enough and turned the ball over. In the fourth quarter we were better with turnovers so we were able to get some opportunities, and it’s a learning experience for our young team."

Players

HICKMAN, RICKY
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan
“We have to start the game in the right way and not just play for 26 or 27 minutes, we have to play 40 complete minutes. They shot well and moved the ball well so it was tough to guard them sometimes, but this is the game. It’s frustrating when you lose games like we have in the last few weeks, but we’re professionals and we have to look ourselves in the mirror and see what we can do to help the team.”
PANGOS, KEVIN
Zalgiris Kaunas
“It was a tough game of ups and downs, with stretches where we didn’t play so well and others where we played harder. It was a good learning experience and the best way to learn is by winning. It’s good for us to win on the road, it shows how well we’re coming together as a team.”
MILAKNIS, ARTURAS
Zalgiris Kaunas
"I’m just happy my teammates found me in good positions and I did what I needed to score the baskets. All our victories are team victories, we don’t have one or two leaders who score every day. It’s our team strength."