Zalgiris – Virtus Bologna 68-65: The Lithuanians smiled with home strength on the evening of Iankunas

In the first home game of this year in EuroLeague, after two negative results, Zalgiris managed to break the pomegranate and beat Virtus Bologna 68:65. Ignas Brazdeikis with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists as well as Roland Schmitz with 13 points and 5 rebounds stood out among the winners who scored a very important result on a night where they only shot 3/21 3 points!

The race

Virtus Bologna took the lead from the start, leading by up to 12 points (31-19, 12′). The Italians went into the dressing room with a 7 point lead (38-31, 20′) with Kyle Weems being the first scorer with 12 points.

After the break, when Paulius Iankounas’ jersey was retired, Zalgiris started to counterattack. Kazis Maskvitis’ team took the lead for the first time just before the middle of the third period (42:41).

Sergio Scariolo’s team only narrowly prevailed in the final third. Keenan Evans brought the game to a point (65-64), 42″ before the final. Then Milos Teodosic took a very long 3-pointer and made an aerial ball, while Ignas Bradjeikis found a target for the pass on the next attack (66 – 65) by Zalgiris.The Italian called a time-out but Hayes played a very good defense and forced a foul on Milos.Followed by a Paiola foul and two shots from Brazdeikis in 7 seconds for the final which was suspended and the end result .

THE REFEREES: Lottermoser, Aliaga, Nikolic

THE DECADES: 16-24, 31-38, 52-53, 68-65

ZALGIRIS KAUNAS (Maskvitis): Evans 9 (4 assists, 4 steals, 6 turnovers), Lekavicius 5, Hayes 6 (6 rebounds), Schmitz 13 (5 rebounds), Biroutis 5, Lukosiunas, Brazdeikis 14 (6 rebounds, 5 assists), Dimsa 4, Kavanaugh 5 (5 rebounds), Butkevicius, Ulanovas 6 (4 rebounds, 4 assists)

VIRTUAL BOLOGNA (Scariolo): Cordinier 4, Magnion, Belinelli, Paiola, Bako, Jaite 9 (4 rebounds), Lundberg 7 (4 rebounds), Hackett 6 (5 assists), Miki 9 (4 rebounds, 3 blocks), Weems 15, Ojeleye 8 (5 rebounds), Teodosic 7 (6 assists)

Zalgiris Kaunas team stats: 21/40 2-pointers, 3/21 3-pointers, 17/19 shots, 38 rebounds (25 defensive – 13 offensive), 18 assists, 9 steals, 3 blocks, 15 turnovers

Virtus Bologna team statistics: 17/39 2-pointers, 7/17 3-pointers, 10/18 shots, 30 rebounds (22 defense – 8 offense), 20 assists, 10 steals, 3 blocks, 16 turnovers

The next games of the two teams: On Matchday 4 of the EuroLeague, Zalgiris will host FC Barcelona from Sarunas Jaskevicius (20 October, 8 p.m.), Virtus Bologna will play against Partizan in Serbia (20 October, 9.30 p.m.).