In the Betsafe-LKL, a third clash of the season between two of the league's top three teams took place, with Kaunas Žalgiris (25-2) grinding out a hard-earned 81:69 (18:18, 19:22, 22:20, 22:9) win on the road against Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius (15-12).

Anthony Cowan got the Wolves off to a solid start, but Deividas Sirvydis quickly answered with two buckets to make it 7:5. Ignas Brazdeikis then knocked down a three, followed by Laurynas Birutis extending Žalgiris’ lead to 13:7. Still, Cowan’s leadership kept the hosts in the game (12:15), and after Tre’Shawn Thurman’s mid-range jumper, the Wolves were just a point behind at 17:18. Žalgiris head coach Andrea Trinchieri called for a timeout, after which the game was tied at 18:18.

Marek Blaževič gave Wolves the lead at 26:22, and together with Regimantas Miniotas, helped fend off Žalgiris’ push to close the gap – 31:28. Isaiah Wong and Alen Smailagić tried to swing momentum back in Žalgiris’ favor (31:33), but the Wolves held a slim edge until halftime, going into the break up 40:37.

After the break, Smailagić and Arnas Butkevičius helped Žalgiris regain the momentum (44:40), but the Wolves quickly responded through the duo of  Cowan and Jeff Taylor, swinging the lead back to 51:50. Cowan, however, picked up a technical foul, as the game remained tightly contested. With a minute left in the third quarter, only a single point separated the teams (55:56), and by the end of the period, the Wolves held a narrow advantage – 60:59.

In the final quarter, Žalgiris broke away. Shots from Francisco sparked a strong run for the visitors, and after a bucket from Brazdeikis, they had built a double-digit lead – 75:65. The Wolves managed just five points in the first half of the quarter, and their situation quickly deteriorated. Although there was still time on the clock, Wolves Twinsbet struggled to mount a comeback (67:78), allowing Žalgiris to secure the win without much trouble.

Wolves Twinsbet: Anthony Cowan 18, Tre’Shawn Thurman 13, Marek Blaževič, Andrew Andrews, and Jeff Taylor – 9 each, Regimantas Miniotas 5 (13 rebounds, 5 assists), Kristupas Žemaitis 4, Garrison Brooks 2. Arnoldas Kulboka did not score, and Justinas Marcinkevičius did not play by the coach’s decision.

Žalgiris: Sylvain Francisco 15 (6 assists), Ignas Brazdeikis and Alen Smailagić – 13 each.

Coaches’ comments

(Photo by Rokas Lukoševičius / LKL nuotr.)