Unicaja adds its first win in the Euroleague with Zalgiris

Unicaja earned the first victory of the Euroleague in overtime against Zalgiris (85-78) in a game with many ups and downs that guard Berni Rodriguez in the fourth quarter, propelled his team, and which in additional five minutes the Latvian Kriptars Valters base and center Joel Freeland English showed their quality. The team aimed to Malaga secure home games to try to qualify for the next phase. Beating Zalgiris fell within their plans, and the Brose Basket and KK Zagreb . The other two teams, Panathinaikos, with which it lost in Athens and CSKA Moscow were initially higher. The game was very even in the first quarter, although the slight difference noted by Unicaja (22-19 ). The first ten minutes were a knowledge of both teams, where sometimes the base Zalgiris led by Ty Lawson and forward Sonny Weems, took command of the marker, but the Andalusians, when the defense forced, put in serious trouble the Lithuanians. With the game in a dynamic still, the Unicaja started the second period very funky, with many problems in attack and defense with excessive gaps, which used to distance Zalgiris with Weems and Klimavicius, like most successful players (28 -39, minute 18). Unicaja, very stuck with few offensive ideas, perhaps by certain Lithuanian defensive system, managed only 8 points (30-39, minute 20).

Unicaja changed radically after the break. Much more focused, more mild and with fewer errors, tied the game with a 10-0 run (40-39, minute 23). The Zalgiris was surprised by the strength of the rival and the intensity in all aspects of the game. From that moment, all awoke Lithuanian exchange was the predominant baskets. He said the period (49-52). The last ten minutes were thrilling, but always ahead Zalgiris (58-61, minute 37), until the veterans Unicaja players like power forward Jorge Garbajosa and guard Berni Rodriguez, gave his note of experience. Rodriguez, with a triple tied the game at 63 was two minutes, but Freeland, with two free throws, then Darden could overtake his team and failed. That was the foundation not err Croatian Marko Popovic, who returned with another triple to advance the whole Lithuanian (63-66, minute 39). Rodriguez, with two free throws again tied 67-67 with 52 seconds to the end and ball after missing the attack Darden, for locals, who used the attack as they played Valters triple ring. Five minutes of extra time to decide the winner. The Andalusian club meeting took command of the base triple with two Latvian Kriptars Valters 73-69 and 76-69, and Joel Freeland immeasurable within the area, gave him the victory, suffered, but just by 85-78 Unicaja.