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Lithuanian pride is keeping Zalgiris in the race

Lithuanian pride is keeping Zalgiris in the race

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2 April 20234 Mins read

Javier Gancedo

Lithuanian pride is keeping Zalgiris in the race

Zalgiris Kaunas took a step forward in the playoff race by thrashing Valencia Basket 95-74 in front of another sellout crowd at Zalgirio Arena on Friday evening. The team was able to notch its 17th win of the season and this was a special one for a multitude of reasons.

Whenever the double-round weeks come around, teams often end up looking for help from fresh players further down the bench. Zalgiris is no exception, and often relies on its home-grown Lithuanian players to make solid contributions. This week, some of those contributors the usual suspects, others proved that they can be very valuable in the long run, especially if Zalgiris makes the playoffs, and one unsung guard proved that he can be counted on when his team is in trouble.

Karolis Lukosiunas entered Zalgiris's Round 32 game against Valencia averaging just 1.6 points per game. But on Friday evening, he had 12 points after shooting 4-for-6 on three-pointers, with 3 of them coming in the second quarter after Valencia led 30-31. Arnas Butkevicius and Ignas Brazdeikis fed off Lukosiunas's momentum and by the time Lukas Lekavicius beat the halftime buzzer with a jumper, Zalgiris led 52-40. Zalgiris scored 22 points in the final 5 minutes of the second quarter, and all of them came from Lithuanian players.

"It is a double-[round] week and we needed to find the energy, find the fresh players," Zalgiris head coach Kazys Maksvytis said. "And before the game, we thought that Karolis Lukosiunas could be that player. We gave him a chance and he used his chance. Bravo!"

Lukosiunas proved to be a valuable asset for Zalgiris. Brazdeikis has been consistently showing that recently. Against Valencia, he had 15 points and 4 rebounds for a PIR of 16. He broke the game open, first with a wild putback layup before then finding Lekavicius for the first of his 3 bombs from beyond the arc.

Butkevicius was arguably the best player on the floor against Valencia, doing a little bit of everything. He helped Zalgiris hold Chris Jones scoreless in this game with strong, physical defense. Butkevicius had yet another fine all-around game, too, posting 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals for a PIR of 21. In Zalgiris's 79-70 home win against AS Monaco earlier this week, he had 10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals for a PIR of 16.

"We know that we need those wins and we have nothing to lose. That is the only way for us: to keep fighting and put all the energy we have, and that's it. There is no question about that," Butkevicius said. "I felt pretty good and enjoyed playing today a lot. This energy from the crowd gave me some confidence. It was really a game to remember."

Laurynas Birutis came off the bench to get 8 points on 4-of-4 shooting, 6 rebounds and a PIR of 13. Lekavicius also finished the game with a team-high 16 points. Zalgiris had six players who scored in double digits, of which four were Lithuanian. There was plenty of good news for Zalgiris: Lekavicius found his scoring groove; Birutis and Lukosiunas showed that they are ready for bigger roles; and Brazdeikis reaffirmed his position as one of the team's leaders.

All of that will be taken into account by Coach Maksvytis when Zalgiris, pushed on by its passionate fans inside Zalgirio Arena, hosts Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in a crucial game for both teams next week.