The Lithuanian champs' never-say-die spirit was on display yet again on opening night in Italy.
Zalgiris displayed die-hard mentality to stun Virtus
Article
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 1 of 34
Regular Season
Virtus Segafredo BolognaVIR
7982
Zalgiris KaunasZAL
Overview
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Heading into their Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Round 1 game at Virtus Segafredo Bologna, Zalgiris Kaunas's players were well aware that they had to put up a ton of fight on the road in their bid to overcome an experienced side. Zalgiris started strong and took a 2-10 lead 5 minutes into the first half, but Virtus reacted, turned the game around and even secured a 15-point lead midway through the second quarter. This is when Zalgiris showed glimpses of its die-hard spirit and managed to get within 42-37 at halftime.
In his short halftime comments, Zalgiris head coach Kazys Maksvytis asked his players to match their opponents' energy in the second half, while his Virtus counterpart Luca Banchi warned that his players are up against one of the best defenses in the competition. They were both right and despite Virtus securing another 15-point cushion following a Tornike Shengelia three-pointer with 2 minutes to go in the third quarter, Zalgiris didn't give up and did what it knows best. Its defense became again its main weapon in the last quarter, when it outscored Virtus 24-14 to clinch a narrow victory.
Discussing the key to Zalgiris’s win in the post-game press conference, Maksvytis referred to his team’s cohesion and pointed to the fact that in the second half, he put his faith in the players who formed part of the team last season to bounce back.
"We won against a strong team," Maksvytis stressed. "They are a very physical and experienced team. It’s hard to play here in front of their fans. We have many things to improve. In the second half, we played with the guys from last year, using more trusted players. We fought till the end and deserved to win."
Nine of the 12 players on the Zalgiris roster for this game played under Maksvytis last season and three of them were crucial in the fourth quarter when the visitors completed their impressive comeback. When it mattered most, Keenan Evans scored 11 points, Rolands Smits had 6 and captain Edgaras Ulanovas added another 3. Most importantly, Zalgiris’s old guard scored some huge baskets in crunch time to inspire their team to a come-from-behind victory.
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