NIKE IJT Madrid 2008, report: Real Madrid 66-92 Kalgiris Kaunas
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Zalgiris Kaunas is the fourth and last winner of the opening game in the Nike Junior Tournament in Madrid, after a 66-92 win over hosts Real Madrid. For three quarters the teams went head-to-head but a 19-4 run midway in the deciding quarter announced Zalgiris as the better side. Donatas Motiejunas in a big performance led Zalgiris with 28 points and eight rebounds, joined by 15 year old guard Vytenis Cizauskas who had 19 points and seven rebounds, while Matas Sapiega scored 14 and Estonian prospect Siim-Sander Vene added 10 with eight rebounds. Nikola Mirotic led Real with 15 points but the vast majority came in the first half. Nikola Rakocevic scored 14 while David Garcia had 12.
The first half displayed the battle of giants - Real's Mirotic and Zalgiris' Motiejunas. Each collected 13 points and dominated the game in its own special way. Motiejunas was active, showed diversity and finished very well around the rim, while Mirotic hit all his three attempts from long range but proved he can put the ball on the floor and connect it close to the rim. Zalgiris took a 6-0 early lead but the rest of the first quarter was equal and the Greens held a 21-18 lead after one quarter. Motiejunas and Vene carried Zalgiris to a 32-22 lead but then came a three pointer by Rakocevic and a technical foul on Motiejunas which allowed Real to make a 0-8 run and return to the game. Cizauskas of Zalgiris scored the last three points of the quarter helping his team to go to the break with a 44-38 lead. Rytas maintained the small margin during the third, and Real stayed not too far behind points by Rakocevic. He added one to start the fourth quarter and make it just 60-57, but just when it seemed Real is back in the game Motiejunas and Zalgiris took off with a 10-3 run to make it 70-60 with exactly six minutes on the clock. A time out by Real didn't stop that momentum and when Tautvydas Slezas joined Motiejunas the Lithuanians found themselves up 79-61 with four minutes on the clock and the win deep in their pocket.
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Euroleague.net
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