Lavrinovic leads Rytas past Besiktas

Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius rejoined the race to make it to the Last 32 in Group E by downing Besiktas Sompo Japan Istanbul 92-103 on the road on Wednesday. Rytas improved to 2-4 in Group E while Besiktas dropped to 3-3. Ksistof Lavrinovic paced the winners with 28 points and just two missed shots. Adas Juskevicius added 18, Julius Jucikas had 15, Rokas Giedraitis got 14, Gediminas Orelik contributed 10 and Nico Laprovittola barely missed a triple-double with 7 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists for Rytas. Nate Wolters led Besiktas with 34 points and 5 steals. Cenk Akyol added 14 points, Chinemelu Elonu had 13 while Lamont Hamilton got 10 for the hosts, which led 27-23 after 10 minutes and kept a 52-49 margin at halftime. Lavrinovic and Juskevicius led a 1-10 run which gave the guests a 68-76 margin, which Rytas extended to 79-90 late in the fourth quarter. Wolters led a 10-0 run but Lavrinovic followed free throws with a three-point play that sealed the outcome, 79-85, with a minute left.

Back-to-back baskets by Jucikas and a three-pointer by Laprovittola allowed Rytas to get an early 4-7 lead. A quick basket by Wolters and a put-back layup by Elonu soon restored an 8-7 Besiktas edge. Wolters kept pacing the hosts with a three-point play but Zygimantas Janavicius and Jucikas put Rytas back ahead, 11-12. Orelik struck from downtown but D.J. Seeley had 4 points in a 6-0 run that gave Besiktas a 17-15 lead. Lavrinovic followed a basket with a three-point play but Seeley and an outstanding Hamilton boosted the hosts' lead to 25-23. A triple by Lavrinovic and free throws by Wolters fixed score at 27-23 after 10 minutes. Lavrinovic and Juskevicius fueled a 0-6 run which gave Rytas a 27-29 edge early in the second quarter. Cenk Akyol stepped up with 5 unanswered points but a three-pointer by Marius Runkauskas tied it again, 32-32. Akyol kept pacing Besiktas with back-to-back three-pointer and Tremmell Darden soon gave the hosts a 42-38 margin. Laprovittola made free throws and Orelik hit a triple but Besiktas had found another go-to guy in Erik Murphy, who singlehandedly kept his team ahead, 52-49, at halftime.

Elonu scored down low after the break and three-pointer by Darden boosted the hosts' lead to 57-52. Wolters scored off a steal but Lavrinovic and Giedraitis kept Rytas within 59-56. Walters and Juskevicius exchanged three-pointers, Giedraitis also pulled the trigger from downtown but Lavrinovic did even better with an outstanding four-point play, good for a 62-66 Rytas lead. Hamilton stepped up with back-to-back baskets and soon added a free throw for a 67-66 Besiktas lead. Lavrinovic kept pacing Rytas and got plenty of help from Juskevicius to make the guests get an eight-point lead, 68-76, after 30 minutes. Wolters scored again early in the fourth quarter but an outstanding Jucikas kept Rytas way ahead, 74-83. Wolters struck from downtown and Elonu added free throws but an outstanding Lavrinovic and Jucikas gave the guests a 78-88 lead. Orelik soon made it a double-digit game, 79-90, but Wolters had 6 points in a 10-0 run that brought Besiktas back to life, 89-90. It didn't last long, however, as Lavrinovic made free throws and soon added a layup-plus-foul that made it a six-point game, 89-95, with over a minute left. Free throws by Giedraitis and Laprovittola sealed the outcome down the stretch.