Edgaras Ulanovas stayed ice cool to save Zalgiris at ALBA
Zalgiris Kaunas’s chances of staying alive in the playoff race almost went up in flames at ALBA Berlin on Tuesday night, as the Lithuanian side was failing at the one thing it excelled at on offense: free throws. But, just as hope was fading, Edgaras Ulanovas saved the day.
The Zalgiris captain made 2 foul shots with 6.6 seconds left for a 60-64 lead, which calmed the nerves as the visitors came away with a 63-66 win at Mercedes-Benz Arena. And it shouldn’t be a suprise that Ulanovas buried the 2 pressure-filled free throws, as he has gone 82.1% from the charity stripe this season.
Despite the team struggling to score, ranking 16th with 75.5 points per game, Zalgiris came into the game as the fourth-best free-throw shooting team in the league at 81.8%. And everything seemed to be going as normal against ALBA, with the Lithuanian side making 8-of-9 attempts through the first 30 minutes.
Then came the fourth quarter. Kevarrius Hayes twice split 2 free throws. Lukas Lekavicius followed, as did Isaiah Taylor and Achille Polonara. Even Ulanovas missed 2 free throws after failing to convert a three-point play and splitting 2 shots. And Taylor went 1-of-2 again with 18 seconds left.
Add those up and Zalgiris's 7-of-15 free-throw night gave ALBA a chance to stay in the game. But Ulanovas had seen enough and was able to ice the game from the foul line, keeping his cool to ensure that his team remains firmly in the hunt.