Zalgiris defeated Crvena Zvezda 79-74 on their home court in Kaunas in the second round of the EuroLeague.
Zalgiris played with their full roster, while the guests were without the injured Branko Lazic and Nemanja Bjelica. Dusko Ivanovic decided to have Stefan Lazarevic and Ognjen Kuzmic sit out this game.
Crvena Zvezda had a somewhat shaky start to the game. It appeared they lacked a clear plan both defensively and offensively, prompting Ivanovic to constantly shuffle the lineups, trying to find the right combination. In the meantime, Zalgiris took a double-digit lead, which didn’t last. The reason was straightforward – Milos Teodosic entered the game and contributed to the turnaround. From that point until the end of the first half, the team from Belgrade controlled the game, going into the halftime break with a plus-three lead.
Despite a slightly shaky start in the third quarter, Crvena Zvezda never lost control. While Zalgiris briefly took the lead, the dynamic duo of Luka Mitrovic and Teodosic continued to dominate the court. This allowed the Belgrade team to enter the fourth quarter with a superior position, holding a six-point lead. However, it wasn’t enough to avoid drama. Zalgiris outperformed them in the final moments with a 13-0 run, and consecutive three-pointers led by Brady Manek, flipping the game and securing the win. This outcome was reminiscent of last season when Crvena Zvezda was also closer to victory for most of the match.
The top scorers for the winning team were Roland Smits with 18 points and Edgaras Ulanovas with 15 points. Luka Mitrovic led the guests with 16 points.
In the next round, Zalgiris will face Real Madrid as the visiting team, while Crvena Zvezda will host Monaco.
Milos Teodosic shined
Crvena Zvezda struggled on offense and with defensive rebounds, which the home team capitalized on. Zalgiris’ entire starting five got on the scoresheet, and after Edgaras Ulanovas’ three-pointer, the Lithuanian team took a 13-4 lead. Rolands Smits also dominated, extending the lead with more points in the paint. It was then that Milos Teodosic entered the game, and it drastically changed the course of the match. The playmaker for the red and white team both assisted and hit three-pointers, alongside Luka Mitrovic, making them the catalysts for the turnaround.
The Teodosic-Mitrovic connection continued to work well in the second quarter, and the visiting team even gained a six-point lead. They maintained this advantage even after Teodosić left the court. Shabazz Napier provided a fitting substitution for Teodosic, expertly drawing fouls on three-point shot attempts twice. This was enough for the red-and-white team to stay a few steps ahead of their opponents before entering the second half.
Zalgiris makes a comeback with three-pointers
Crvena Zvezda started the third quarter lethargically, but it was Mitrovic who prevented the home team from taking a more serious lead. Teodosic then creatively found Dejan Davidovac, who hit an uncontested shot to make it a five-point lead. Ivanovic’s team had a two-possession lead going into the last 10 minutes of the game, as defense and rebounding became crucial factors that the red-and-white team started to control better.
Ulanovas played well at the start of the fourth quarter, preventing the opponent from reaching a double-digit lead. This was a dangerous situation because Zalgiris is known for never giving up. Kazys Maksvytis’ team constantly sought a turnaround, and after a three-pointer by Arnas Butkevicius, the Lithuanians reduced the deficit to just two points. Then, Brady Manek scored in a similar fashion, giving Zalgiris the lead for the first time in a long while. Two more three-pointers by Smits and Manek extended Zalgiris’ lead to plus-six with two and a half minutes to go. At the decisive moment, Teodosic lost the ball, and this marked the end of all hopes for Crvena Zvezda to stage a comeback and secure a win.
ZALGIRIS – CRVENA ZVEZDA 79:74 (19:21, 16:17, 15:18, 29:18)
Venue: Zalgirio arena, Kaunas; Referees: Difallah, Nedovic, Cortes.
Zalgiris: Evans 8, Mitrou-Long 3, Lekavicius, Hayes 8, D. Giedraitis, Smits 18, Birutis 4, Dimsa 2, Lavrinovicius, Manek 9, Butkevicius 12, Ulanovas 15.
Crvena Zvezda: Teodosic 15, Hanga 6, Davidovac 6, Mitrovic 16, Simonovic 2, Napier 9, Tobey 2, Bolomboy 6, Ilic, Nedovic 8, Giedraitis 4, Dos Santos.