Zalgiris defeated Lietkabelis on their home court by 88:79 in Game 3 of the Lithuanian Basketball League semifinal series, thus securing a spot in the final.
In this manner, Serbian coach Nenad Canak, who was ejected from this game due to protesting the referees, couldn’t extend this series with his Lietkabelis team for at least one more game. The game was overshadowed by the injury of the team’s star player from Kaunas, Keenan Evans.
Keenan Evans gets injured during LKL semi-finals ๐ pic.twitter.com/NZhlkPzOSQ
— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) May 26, 2024
The visiting team looked excellent in the first half, even leading 44:39 at one point. However, the crucial period of the game was the third quarter, where Andrea Trinchieri’s team played outstanding defense, not only turning the score around but also establishing a nice +9 lead (63:54). Lietkabelis tried to come back in the final quarter, but they simply lacked the strength and quality, so the hosts celebrated their entry into the final.
Lukas Lekavicius led Zalgiris to win with 18 points, while Keenan Evans had 12 points before his injury. The top scorer for the visiting team was Deividas Syrvidis with 25 points, while Serbian center Djordje Gagic contributed 20 points and 11 rebounds.
Zalgiris will face the winner of the second semifinal series between Rytas and BC Wolves in the final. The current score in that series is 1-1.