Zalgiris Kaunas rallied from a 9-point deficit in the final minute of the third quarter to beat FC Barcelona 91-84 on Friday night, and Edgaras Ulanovas played arguably the biggest role in the victory.
Career-night from Ulanovas propelled Zalgiris to big win
Ulanovas was the third best scorer in the winning effort, netting 13 of his 16 points in the second half. He only took 6 shots in 34 minutes on the floor, going 2-of-4 for two-pointers and 1-of-2 from three-point range. But he got to the foul line a lot, making 9 of 12 free throws.
However, his other contributions were far more important. Ulanovas pulled down a game-high 9 rebounds and had 6 steals, more than any player in Round 29. He also delivered 2 blocks, both against his former teammate Nigel Hayes-Davis on the same possession in the second quarter. Ulanovas also hustled and battled against Nikola Mirotic, trying to tire him out, and finished the night with 33 PIR, the highest of his career and the joint second best this round.
"One-on-one is difficult to stop Mirotic, most likely the best player in the EuroLeague right now playing on the best team," Ulanovas explained after the game. "You need help from other people, hands, activity, communication. It is not easy to guard this guy, he plays very good and is a very good player. In moments, we made good help and forced turnovers."
"It is no secret Ule is one of the locomotives," enthused head coach Jure Zdovc about Ulanovas in the press conference after the game. "Not just in the games, also in the practices. He really pushes everyone to do 100 percent. I really enjoy having such a player on the team, and I also trust him. I put him on Mirotic in one of the crucial offenses in the end. And he has been playing like this for two or three months."