The Lithuanian side stayed among the league’s pacesetters with a hard-fought win on home court
Zalgiris overpowers Valencia to make it four in a row
Rapport de match
3 Minute de lecture
Regular Season
Round 9 of 38
Regular Season
Zalgiris KaunasZAL
8677
Valencia BasketVBC
Overview
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Zalgiris Kaunas outmuscled Valencia Basket 86-77 at home and improved to 7-2 in the EuroLeague with a fourth successive win thanks to effervescent long-range shooting in key moments, draining 12-of-29 from downtown against a rugged defense.
The hosts nailed a couple of three-pointers shots at the buzzer in the first and third quarters before Maodo Lo twisted the knife in as he sank a sweet spot-up effort with 44 seconds left on the clock, giving Zalgiris an unassailable 81-75 lead in the home straight.
Among a pack of solid performers, Azuolas Tubelis claimed the player of the game award after racking up 11 points and 8 boards, while the EuroLeague’s October MVP Sylvain Francisco contributed with 15 points and 7 assists. Lo added 12 points, with the towering Moses Wright amassing 11 and 10 boards in an industrious team effort.
“Both teams ran a lot and rebounded well, but in the end we wanted it more as the guys left every ounce of energy on the court,” Tubelis said in his post-game comments. “Francisco is so fast that no one can keep up with him and we are really fortunate to have him on the team.”
Indeed, Francisco pulled the strings for long spells as he carried his good form into the fixture, with Zalgiris holding the upper hand for the best part of the first half, although Valencia kept breathing the home team’s neck. With the score tied 58-58 towards the end of the third quarter, Lo unleashed a buzzer-beating triple which put Zalgiris back in the driving seat and gave the hosts a psychological edge in the fourth.
They took full advantage to carve out a 67-60 advantage and never looked back, even if Valencia stayed in the hunt until the final minute of a rip-roaring contest played at a torrid pace. Head coach Tomas Masiulis hailed the team’s die-hard approach and rock-solid defense, which clipped Valencia’s wings when the chips were down.
“We stayed together throughout and held them to 77 points, so it’s a good result,” he said. ”Despite making some mistakes, I am happy with how we played on defense. We fought like a team and deserved to win, with Francisco being our pack leader. It’s not easy because all our opponents are focused on stopping him but he was patient tonight and decided the game in the end.”
Having seen his side drop to 5-4, Valencia head coach Pedro Martinez praised a cracking atmosphere in the Zalgirio Arena, with the home fans getting behind their team in unison. “Congratulations to Zalgiris, they are a superb team and their fans are truly fantastic,” he said. “We improved in the second half but we had some problems in controlling the defensive rebounds and that’s what made the difference in the end.”
Zalgiris won the battle of the boards 41-32 and held Valencia to 8-of-22 from long range, with Jaime Pradilla and Jean Montero pacing the visitors on 15 points each. Ultimately, the home team did enough to grind out a tough win which will boost their confidence ahead of the upcoming challenges.
