Gediminas Orelik shined again as Lietkabelis downed Cluj
Despite only rejoining 7Bet-Lietkabelis Panevezys on January 16, Gediminas Orelik has already hit the ground running in this season's 7DAYS EuroCup. On Tuesday evening, Orelik played a key role as Lietkabelis grabbed an important road win at U-BT Cluj-Napoca, opening a two-game gap between the final playoff place and the bottom two.
Lietkabelis secured a 75-77 victory against Cluj, and for the second game in a row, Orelik finished with at least 20 points. After scoring 27 in a 92-88 win over one of the EuroCup's hottest teams, Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse, the 32-year-old followed that up with 20 points against Cluj.
Orelik made his second Lietkabelis debut on January 18 on the road at ratiopharm Ulm, just two days after sealing his return to the club, and he finished with 8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. Yet, one week later, his performance against Bourg caused many to sit up and take note.
Since Orelik made his return to Lietkabelis, the team has gone 2-1, having lost to Ulm before beating Bourg and Cluj. But, it is telling that Orelik's increase in scoring has resulted in two crucial wins, as Lietkabelis improved to a 6-7 record.
Perhaps most importantly, though, Tuesday's win over Cluj meant that Lietkabelis is one step closer towards securing its place in the playoffs, with Cluj having dropped to 4-9 following its defeat.