2014-15Top 16Round 13
April 03, 2015 CET: 18:45
Local time: 19:45 ZALGIRIO ARENA

Wild last minute gives Zalgiris final home win, 76-70

A matter of pride between already-eliminated teams produced an entertaining game of swings as Zalgiris Kaunas hung on to beat visiting Crvenza Zvezda Telekom Belgrade 76-70 in its last home game of the Euroleague season on Friday. Zalgiris raised its Group E record to 5-8 while Zvezda fell to 3-10. The hosts followed Paulius Jankunas to a 13-point lead at halftime thanks to a 24-8 run over the last 7 minutes of the second quarter. Zvezda and Charles Jenkins won the third 11-28, however, setting up a wild finish. With a minute left, one of the plays of the season saw two saves lead to a long alley-oop from Will Cherry to James Anderson that decided the outcome in spectacular fashion. Jankunas had 19 points, Cheery 17, Arturas Milaknis 11 and Anderson10 to lead the winners. Zvezda center Boban Marjanovic registered his 15th double-double of the season , 14 points and 12 rebounds, to break a Euroleague record in that category. Marjanovic had been tied at 14 with Tanoka Beard, who had that many double-doubles for Zalgiris in the 2004-05 season.

First quarter: Defenses rule in slow start

Lukas Lekavicius hit the game's first shot for Zalgiris from the top of the lane, near where Marjanovic soon started Zvezda's scoring. The teams remained stuck at 2-2 for a couple minutes until Stefan Jovic hit free throws for the guests. After a five-minute Zalgiris drought, Jankunas blasted the game's first three-pointer for a 5-4 Zalgiris lead. Jaka Blazic's foul shots got the lead back for the guests before Marjanovic slammed back on offensive rebound to make it 5-8. Anderson and Milaknis got their first baskets for Zalgiris in close, but in between Marjanovic hit free throws and then Marcus Williams came off the bench with a triple to make it 9-12. Jankunas was left alone to answer for Zalgiris from long range and tie it up 12-12 after 10 minutes.

Second quarter: Zalgiris rides wave to halftime

Free throws by Arturas Gudaitis got Zalgiris a lead again, but Zvezda subs Nemanja Dangubic and Maik Zirbes got their first baskets to take it back for the guests at 14-16. On a third-chance possession, Jenkins joined the Zvezda scorers with a stop-and-pop jumper that Gudaitis answered inside. Zirbes and Cherry made a free throw each, but the latter's second miss was rebounded by Robertas Javtokas and given back to him for an up-and-under layup and a 19-19 tie. When Anderson made an even niftier baseline scoop shot plus the free throw, Zalgiris was up 22-19. Zvezda took a timeout, after which Jovic tied it up with one shot from downtown. Jankunas kept the hosts ahead by hitting 4 of 4 free throw attempts before Marjanovic rejoined the scoring with a put-back. Milaknis also downed free throws and Anderson made a reverse past Marjanovic for a 31-24 Zalgiris lead that forced another Zvezda timeout. More free throws for Marjanovic settled the guests, but Milaknis beat the shot clock with a triple as the lead climbed again. When Anderson hit a free throw and Javtokas tipped in the second one, the lead was double digits, 37-26. Luka Mitrovic got a point back, but Siim-Sander Vene finished the Zalgiris onslaught with a three-pointer good for a 40-27 lead at the break.

Third quarter: Jenkins, Zvezda flip scoreboard

Nikola Kalinic went inside for his first basket before Jenkins followed with an open three-pointer for Zvezda to start the second half. Despite a Zalgiris timeout. Mitrovic joined the fun with a smooth layup at 40-34. A second Zalgiris pass in 3 minutes sailed into the stands before Kalinic sank 2 free throws. Jankunas finally ended his team's drought with a baseline jumper and then Milaknis put back his own miss to make it 44-36. Dangubic squared up for a three-pointer, Mitrovic repeated his earlier slicing layup and Jenkins drove for basket as the difference dwindled to 44-43. Marjanovic did the honors of completing the comeback with 2 free throws good for a 44-45 lead after a 4-18 start to the third quarter. Edgaras Ulanovas took the lead back at the foul line for Zalgiris, but only until Jenkins hit another open triple at 46-48. Marko Tejic joined the fun with a backdoor layup that Gudaitis matched with foul shots. Zirbes scored in close before Cherry got a rise out of the crowd with a triple to get Zalgiris within 51-52. But Dangubic and Jovic went 3 of 4 at the line to preserve a 51-55 Zvezda lead after 30 minutes.

Fourth quarter: Cherry leads Zalgiris charge to victory

Cherry continued on target with another triple to start the fourth quarter, then made and acrobatic layup between those of Blazic and Zirbes for Zvezda. Blazic then hit form downtown himself, prompting a Zalgiris timeout at 56-62. Darius Songaila got a basket back for Zalgiris, his first, before Cherry finished a fastbreak to make it 60-62. Now Zvezda called for a break in the action, after which Jenkins popped a jumper at 60-64. A big block by Gudaitis led to Cherry forcing a 64-64 tie on free throws with 5 minutes left. A tip-in by Mitrovic and another layup by Cherry kept it tied. But Blazic's single free throw was upstaged by Jankunas coming on to drill a corner triplle for a 69-67 Zalgiris edge. Marjanovic forged another tie with foul shots before Jankunas broke it from the baseline to make it 71-69. Going into the final minute, Zalgiris made a spectacular play with a pair of saves leading to a game-breaking alley-oop between Cherry and Anderson. That was followed by another triple from Milaknis, rewarding the Zalgiris crowd with something to remember at the conclusion of the last home game of their team's season.

Paulius Jankunas - Zalgiris Kaunas - EB14
Friday, April 3, 2015
Euroleague.net
Referees: HIERREZUELO, DANIEL; PEREZ, EMILIO; KOWALSKI, MARCIN
Attendance: 9015
By Quarter1234
Zalgiris Kaunas12281125
Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade12152815
End of Quarter1234
Zalgiris Kaunas12405176
Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade12275570
Zalgiris Kaunas
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
1 CHERRY, WILL 25:40 17 4/6 2/6 3/4       2   4   1 2 3 8
4 LEKAVICIUS, LUKAS 14:20 2 1/2 0/1     1 1 1   1     2 1  
5 VENE, SIIM-SANDER 4:24 3 0/1 1/1                   1   1
7 GUDAITIS, ARTURAS 14:31 6 1/4   4/4 3 1 4       2   3 3 9
9 SONGAILA, DARIUS 11:27 4 2/3       6 6 2 1       3   9
10 LIPKEVICIUS, VYTENIS 2:45   0/1       2 2     2         -1
13 JANKUNAS, PAULIUS 31:22 19 3/6 3/4 4/4 1 8 9   1 1     3 5 26
15 JAVTOKAS, ROBERTAS 21:47 2 1/3     2 1 3 2   1     3   1
21 MILAKNIS, ARTURAS 28:12 11 2/3 2/4 1/2 1 1 2 1   1     2 1 8
23 ANDERSON, JAMES 31:19 10 4/7 0/4 2/3   8 8 5 1 4   1   4 15
27 TAROLIS, DONATAS DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
92 ULANOVAS, EDGARAS 14:13 2 0/1 0/1 2/2   1 1 1 1       4 5 4
Team           3 1 4               4
Totals 200:00 76 18/37 8/21 16/19 10 30 40 14 4 14 2 2 23 22 84
        48.6% 38.1% 84.2%
Head coach: KRAPIKAS, GINTARAS
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
Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
3 WILLIAMS, MARCUS 20:41 2 1/1 0/4     1 1 5   1       1 4
4 REBIC, NIKOLA DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
6 DANGUBIC, NEMANJA 18:50 7 1/2 1/2 2/2 2 2 4   1       2 2 10
9 MITROVIC, LUKA 33:02 7 3/5 0/1 1/3 3 3 6     3   1 3 3 4
10 LAZIC, BRANKO 2:54                              
11 BLAZIC, JAKA 17:38 8 1/3 1/4 3/4           1     2 2 1
12 KALINIC, NIKOLA 20:13 5 1/5 0/1 3/4 2 2 4   1 1     4 4 3
13 MARJANOVIC, BOBAN 24:34 14 3/9   8/9 4 8 12 1   1 1     7 27
15 TEJIC, MARKO 4:58 2 1/1 0/1         1         4   -2
22 JENKINS, CHARLES 26:03 12 3/7 2/5     2 2 1 2     1 3   6
24 JOVIC, STEFAN 15:41 6 0/3 1/5 3/4   2 2 2   2 1   2 2 1
33 ZIRBES, MAIK 15:26 7 3/3   1/2 2   2 1 2       2 2 11
Team           1 4 5               5
Totals 200:00 70 17/39 5/23 21/28 14 24 38 11 6 9 2 2 22 23 70
        43.6% 21.7% 75%
Head coach: RADONJIC, DEJAN

Head Coaches

KRAPIKAS, GINTARAS
Zalgiris Kaunas
"Everyone is hoping to go to the next stage and be among the eight top European teams. This year, we fought long, but it was not enough. Today we came out terrible after the break, but understanding it was the last Euroleague home game this season and we are supposed to win it here in Zalgirio Arena. All season, we got very big support from our fans and it helps in this kind of game, when the result is very tough and decided in the last minute. Thanks to all of them."
RADONJIC, DEJAN
Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade
"We started the match with a great defensive intensity and had a good first quarter. We lost concentration in the next 10 minutes and Zalgiris got away. We came back to the game because of good defense and smart offense. Zalgiris used their experience in the end and finished the game better."

Players

CHERRY, WILL
Zalgiris Kaunas
"It was a hard game, man. Like always, we came out in the third quarter lackadaisical. We let them back in and had to find our way back, and they're a good, hard, physical team. When we put ourselves in that position, we've got to fight until the end. But I think we showed heart at the end. We got some stops, the kicked our butts on the boards, but we kept fighting and plugging away. That play with James, oh man! We're talked about it a lot of times, but that's the first time we connected on it. The previous two, he fumbled one and I hit him late. But this one was big momentum-booster. It was off a rebound, we were scrambling. He put his hand up and I happened to put it right on the money over the big guy and another guard. The rest was up to James, but he went up and got it."
MARJANOVIC, BOBAN
Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade
"I think we started the game in a good way. We played solid in the first quarter, but the second quarter was bad for us. We made some turnovers and when playing against a team like Zalgiris, you cannot make such mistakes. We came back in the fourth quarter. But we missed some shots and Zalgiris had more luck tonight. They also have good players and managed to get a great win."
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