The visitors came close to throwing their win away, but the Serbian forward ensured they got over the line
Alen Smailagic steps up late as Zalgiris downs Virtus, 68-71
Game Report
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 3 of 34
Group Regular Season
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Zalgiris Kaunas looked on course for a comfortable victory at Virtus Segafredo Bologna on Tuesday night, but the Lithuanian side went ice-cold and allowed the hosts to get back into the game. However, Alen Smailagic stepped up in the final stages of the contest to ensure that Zalgiris secured a 68-71 win, improving Andrea Trinchieri’s side to a 2-1 record. Virtus remains winless after three games of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.
Dovydas Giedraitis led the way for Zalgiris with a team-high 15 points, which tied his career high after he netted the same number of points against ALBA Berlin in Round 12 last season. Fellow guard Sylvain Francisco chipped in with 11 points, while Edgaras Ulanovas had 10. Virtus forward Will Clyburn netted a game-high 16 points for the hosts, who had Toko Shengelia and Alessandro Pajola score 11 points each and Isaia Cordinier contribute 10.
In what was a back-and-forth first quarter, neither team was able to get a firm grip on the game in the early stages. Clyburn was showing signs of getting back to his best, but Virtus' defense allowed the likes of Ignas Brazdeikis and Giedraitis to have plenty of joy, with Zalgiris holding a narrow 15-16 advantage after 10 minutes thanks to a tough layup by Francisco.
Zalgiris had the last three scores of the first quarter and carried on its momentum in the second, netting the first nine points of the quarter to take its scoring run to 13-0 and make it 15-25 on the scoreboard. Pajola and Shengelia decided that enough was enough and started Virtus' fightback, trimming the deficit to three points (24-27) with just over four minutes to go before halftime. When Clyburn scored four straight to pull Virtus within one score of Zalgiris, 28-30, the visitors outscored the hosts 14-2 the rest of the way to take a 30-44 lead into the break.
The third quarter saw a spirited reaction from Virtus, with Pajola and Shengelia heavily involved once again, as it outscored Zalgiris 15-4 through the first five and a half minutes to get within four points, 45-49. However, just like in the second quarter, that only seemed to wake Zalgiris up as Matt Mitchell struck from mid-range before Giedraitis, Lukas Lekavicius and Deividas Sirvydis all hit a triple apiece to give the Lithuanian side an eight-point advantage, 52-60, entering the final period.
Cordinier had been quiet for most of the game, but he started getting Virtus moving again in the fourth, scoring both inside and outside the arc to get the hosts within touching range, 59-62. Shengelia's three made free throws even saw Virtus go in front, 64-62, but Smailagic – another who had been relatively quiet – gave Zalgiris a new-found energy in the final minutes. Whether it was scoring points or being active on the glass, Smailagic was making his presence felt, scoring seven of Zalgiris' last nine points to ensure that Coach Trinchieri's side came away with a 68-71 victory.
