May 19, 2013
Regular Season Game 4 - November 11, 2009 CET: 18:30 Local time: 18:30 - BASKETBALL CENTER DRAZEN PETROVIC
Cibona 64 - 52 Zalgiris

Records

Ave.   Ave.
0-0 Final Four 0-0
0-0 Playoffs 0-0
0-0 Top 16 0-0
0-3 Regular Season 1-2
0-3 Overall 1-2

Referees

Crew Chief
MARTIN, JOSE, Spain
Referee
CMIKIEWICZ, MAREK, Poland
Umpire
BIRICIK, MURAT, Turkey

Team Stats

Ave.   Ave.
53.7 Points 68.3
31.7 Rebounds 31.3
11.7 O. Rebounds 8.7
20.0 D. Rebounds 22.7
7.7 Assists 13.7
8.3 Steals 7.0
1.3 Blocks 4.7
17.3 Turnovers 16.3
40.7 % 2PT 44.6 %
20.6 % 3PT 44.4 %
77.5 % FT 74.1 %
32.3 Index 73.0
Team Stats - Cibona
Team Stats - Zalgiris

Player Stats

Ave.   Ave.
10.7 / Gordon Points 16.7 / BROWN, MARCUS
5.0 / Tomas Rebounds 10.0 / WATSON, TRAVIS
2.7 / Andric OR 3.0 / WATSON, TRAVIS
4.3 / Tomas DR 7.0 / WATSON, TRAVIS
3.7 / Gordon Assists 4.0 / Kalnietis
3.0 / Gordon Steals 1.3 / Salenga
1.0 / Gordon Blocks 1.7 / Klimavicius
3.3 / Gordon Turnovers 4.3 / Kalnietis
50.0 % / Gordon 2PT 87.5 % / Kalnietis
40.0 % / VUKUSIC, VEDRAN 3PT 62.5 % / Pocius
100.0 % / Rozic FT 100.0 % / WATSON, TRAVIS
11.7 / Gordon Index 17.0 / BROWN, MARCUS
Team Roster - Cibona
Team Roster - Zalgiris

THE TAKE

Two former European Cup champions looking to get out of trouble in Group A will face each other in the Croatian capital on Wednesday when Cibona Zagreb hosts Zalgiris Kaunas in a rematch of the 1986 Euroleague final. Despite leading the Adriatic League standings with a 6-0 record, Cibona is still looking for its first win in Group A. Zalgiris is also undefeated in both the Baltic League and the Lithuanian League, but the team has suffered back-to-back losses to fall to fourth in Group A at 1-2. Zalgiris bases its offense on a very dynamic frontcourt led by center Mirza Begic and rebounding machine Travis Watson. Tadas Klimavicius offers intensity and shooting range off the bench, with Povilas Cukinas ready to step on the court to add size and instant offense. Cibona faces severe injury problems, as center Dalibor Bagaric missed the last couple of games and is questionable against Zalgiris. As such, Luksa Andric will try to open the court against Begic while Vedran Vukusic has a tough matchup against Watson. Youngsters Leon Radosevic and Tomislav Zubcic provide energy off the bench, but coach Velimir Perasovic may use Marin Rozic at power forward during the game, too. Zalgiris's main concern will be stopping small forward Marko Tomas, who has been in great shape recently. Tomas and guard Jamont Gordon are set to see most of the minutes at the wings, with tall guard Robert Troha and top prospect Bojan Bogdanovic coming off the bench. Zalgiris has the right man to guard Tomas in veteran forward Dainius Salenga. Meanwhile, Gordon will test his shooting skills against the Euroleague's all-time leading scorer and Zalgiris's franchise player Marcus Brown, who is ready for yet another big night. Swingman Marty Pocius will see extended playing time at the wings, too. The point guard battle will be equally interesting, as Antonio Graves comes off a good game - 14 points and 3 assists against FB Ulker - after he adjusted to the competition. He will share the point guard duties with Vedran Princ and Gordon. Graves has a critical matchup against Mantas Kalnietis and his backup Zygimantas Janavicius. Zalgiris must dominate the boards and get Brown involved to steal a road win. Cibona must run its offense through Gordon and Tomas to look for its first triumph. Expect to see plenty of passion as two teams lay it on the line for a very important win.

REFEREES: Jose Martín, Marek Cmikiewicz, Murat Biricik


GAME NOTES

Cibona Zagreb

Center Dalibor Bagaric and Zalgiris forward Dainius Salenga were teammates at Akasvayu Girona during the 2006-07 season. Together they won the 2007 FIBA EuroCup.

Antonio Graves snapped out of a slump last week with 14 points and 3 assists after going scoreless and committing 6 turnovers with 0 assists in the first two games combined.

Marin Rozic has made 12 consecutive free throws over his past six Euroleague games.

Zalgiris Kaunas

Dainius Salenga needs just 3 more three-pointers to reach 100 for his Euroleague career.

Marcus Brown has made multiple three-pointers and scored at least 16 points in five consecutive Euroleague games.

Four Zalgiris players – Marcus Brown, Marty Pocius, Dainius Salenga and Tadas Klimavicius – are shooting better from behind the arc than they are on two-pointers this season.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Euroleague.net

Quotes Head Coaches

PERASOVIC, VELIMIR
Cibona
"Zalgiris has played really well in Euroleague this season. The only game that they had no chance in was one against Montepaschi in Siena. Barcelona had a tough time with them and this is why we have to be highly concentrated. Although this season the Top 16 is not an imperative for us, we would like to go through to that round, so the fight for us is starting on Wednesday. They have a strong starting five, but also all of the other players are actual or former Lithuanian national team players, so we have to do our best."
KRAPIKAS, GINTARAS
Zalgiris
"We will have a big fight vs. Cibona. No, it will not be a boxing match, but for Cibona, with a 0-3 record, it will be a last chance to keep up its hopes for the Top 16. So that's why I am talking about a tough battle: Cibona hasn't surrendered yet and will try to beat us for sure. I think we need to show the same quality of game as we play at home. We need to show the opponent that we are no weaker playing on the road. Our men have to believe that we can play away the same that we play at home. Lately, we have understood each other better; players are receiving the ball in good position, so we want to continue that way."

Players

TOMAS, MARKO
Cibona
"Their team is much more experienced than us and some of the players, such as Marcus Brown, have been playing at top-level clubs for many seasons. I think they play better on their home court than away, but that does not have to make a difference. I hope that our fans will be there to support us and with their support in our arena, anything is possible."
KLIMAVICIUS, TADAS
Zalgiris
"In last two Euroleague games, we have suffered losses, but they didn't affect our confidence. Last week, we lost to Barcelona, a top-five team in Europe, only in the last minute, so it shows we have upside and we will try to show it in Zagreb. We aren't giving too much thought to our record in road games, because every year our team is different and you cannot change what happened in the past. Going to Zagreb, we know how important this game is for both teams and we will do whatever we need to go home with the win. I think we are well prepared, so we only need to show it on court."
Marko Tomas - CibonaCibona registered its first win in the 2009-10 Euroleague regular season by downing Zalgiris 64-52 in Zagreb, Croatia in Group A on Wednesday. Both teams tie at the bottom part in this group, each with a 1-3 record. Marko Tomas led the winners with 14 points. Vedran Vukusic added 11 while Marin Rozic and Luksa Andric each had 10 for Cibona. Mirza Begic led Zalgiris with 14 points. Travis Watson barely missed a double-double, 9 points and 12 rebounds, for the guests. Cibona had a strong start but Marcus Brown and Marty Pocius allowed Zalgiris to tie the game, 16-16, after 10 minutes. Watson dominated the boards and Zalgiris managed to get a 29-30 edge late in the first quarter. Jamont Gordon hit 4-of-4 free throws to make Cibona regain the lead, 35-31, at halftime. Andric and Tomas fueled a 10-0 run that allowed Cibona to get the lead for good, 47-38. Watson singlehandedly brought Zalgiris within 49-46 early in the fourth quarter but outstanding defense and an inspired Tomas helped Cibona to seal the outcome, 61-48, minutes before the final buzzer.

Marin Rozic got Cibona going with a quick basket but Brown answered with a corner triple for a 2-3 Zalgiris lead. Cibona tried to open the court early in the game to look for one-on-one situations and Andric shined with a backdoor layup. Zalgiris tried to find Watson and Begic down low, trying to put Andric and Vukusic into foul trouble. Begic scored down low but Vukusic struck twice from downtown for a 10-5 Cibona edge. Begic kept pacing Zalgiris with a huge block on Gordon and a baseline jumper. Gordon and Brown traded jumpers but a second-chance layup by Andric kept the hosts ahead, 14-9. The guests could not guest Watson involved and called timeout to adjust its offense. Zalgiris kept struggling to score until Watson stepped up with a put-back layup. Antonio Graves downed a three-pointer, as Cibona kept dominating the game tempo with outstanding defense. Zalgiris found a go-to guy in Pocius, who beat the shot clock with a fallaway triple and added free throws to tie the game, 16-16, after 10 minutes.

Begic stayed unstoppable with a put-back layup early in the second quarter but Bojan Bogdanovic matched it with a fast break dunk. Mantas Kalnietis and Tomas exchanged three-pointers while Watson had started to dominate the boards. Bogdanovic kept pacing Cibona with a wide open triple, good for a 25-21 lead. Zalgiris tried to play more up-tempo and find Begic around the basket. He followed a dunk in transition with free throws to tie the game again, 25-25. Rozic sank a six-meter jumper, as Cibona tried to diversify its offense with many players ready to contribute. Zalgiris kept struggling to score until Adas Juskevicius took over with a coast-to-coast layup. Rozic soon added free throws but Salenga answered from downtown to put the guests back ahead, 29-30. Gordon sank a jumper off a Cibona timeout but Watson's rebounds had allowed Zalgiris to get the game tempo. Free throws by Gordon, however, allowed the hosts to get a 35-31 lead at halftime.

Mirza Begic - Zalgiris KaunasKalnietis sank a floating layup in transition immediately after the break, as Zalgiris tried to play more up-tempo now. Begic soon added an easy basket for a 35-35 tie. Bogdanovic took over with a power layup, as Cibona tried to improve its intensity with Graves and Gordon together on court. Begic shined with a jump hook, as Zalgiris was way more aggressive in defense, with Watson and Begic intimidating the entire Cibona frontcourt. A free throw by Pocius put the guests back ahead, 37-38, midway through the third quarter. Vukusic rescued Cibona with a reverse layup and Andric also scored around the basket to give the hosts some fresh air at 42-38. Tomas provided a highlight with a seven-meter bomb that made Zalgiris call timeout at 45-38. Andric capped a 10-0 Cibona run with a fast break dunk that Brown erased with a driving basket. Watson scored twice in the paint to bring Zalgiris back to life, 47-44, after 30 minutes.

Rozic scored again early in the fourth quarter but a jump hook by Watson kept the guests as close as 49-46. Cibona kept powering the offensive board and Rozic shined again with a driving layup, as Cibona tried to play more aggressive around the baskets. A three-point play by Vukusic put Cibona way ahead, 54-46, with 7 minutes to go. Pocius took over with a wild driving layup but Watson went to the bench with 4 fouls and Zalgiris could not readjust its defense. Tomas downed a three-pointer while Andric added a power layup that sealed the outcome, 59-48. Watson returned to the floor off a Zalgiris timeout but it was already too little, too late for the guests. Cibona kept dominating the game with outstanding defense and allowed their fans to celebrate that their team rejoined the race to reach the Top 16!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Euroleague.net
Referees: MARTIN, JOSE (ESP), CMIKIEWICZ, MAREK (POL), BIRICIK, MURAT (TUR)
Attendance: 2500
By Quarter1234
Cibona16191217
Zalgiris1615138
End of Quarter1234
Cibona16354764
Zalgiris16314452
Head coach: PERASOVIC, VELIMIR
Cibona
# Player Min Pts 2FG
M-A
 3FG
M-A
 FT
M-A
 Rebounds As St To Bl Fouls PIR
O D T Fv Ag Cm Rv
5 GORDON, JAMONT 29:43 8 2/6 0/2 4/4 3 3 6 2 3 1   1 3 7 15
7 BOGDANOVIC, BOJAN 22:31 7 2/4 1/4 0/1 1 3 4 1   2   1 3 3 3
9 TROHA, ROBERT DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
10 RADOSEVIC, LEON 14:02         1 1 2               2
11 VUKUSIC, VEDRAN 34:17 11 2/3 2/6 1/1 1 2 3         1 2 2 8
12 ANDRIC, LUKSA 27:29 10 5/7 0/1 0/1 1 3 4   3 4 1   5 1 6
15 ZUBCIC, TOMISLAV DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
19 PRINC, VEDRAN 6:25     0/1     1 1 1           1 2
20 ROZIC, MARIN 20:54 10 4/6 0/4 2/2 1 2 3 2   1   2 2 1 5
22 GRAVES, ANTONIO 16:27 4 1/4 0/2 2/2   1 1 1       1 1 1  
33 TOMAS, MARKO 28:12 14 0/2 4/9 2/4       3 2 3     4 2 5
Team             2 2     1         1
Totals 200:00 64 16/32 7/29 11/15 8 18 26 10 8 12 1 6 20 18 47
50% 24.1% 73.3%
Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating
Head coach: KRAPIKAS, GINTARAS
Zalgiris
# Player Min Pts 2FG
M-A
 3FG
M-A
 FT
M-A
 Rebounds As St To Bl Fouls PIR
O D T Fv Ag Cm Rv
5 BROWN, MARCUS 34:41 7 2/5 1/4   1 4 5 3 1 5 1   3 5 8
7 POCIUS, MARTYNAS 17:36 9 1/2 1/6 4/6           5     2 5 -1
8 JUSKEVICIUS, ADAS 3:55 2 1/1 0/2     1 1     2     2 1 -2
9 KALNIETIS, MANTAS 30:39 5 1/1 1/3     4 4 6   3     1 2 11
10 JANAVICIUS, ZYGIMANTAS 7:35     0/2     1 1           3   -4
15 BEGIC, MIRZA 24:23 14 6/6   2/2 2 2 4     3 1   2 1 15
20 SALENGA, DAINIUS 37:00 6 0/4 2/3   1 5 6   1 1   1 1 3 8
21 MILAKNIS, ARTURAS 7:27                           1 1
32 CUKINAS, POVILAS 2:55   0/1   0/2                   1 -2
35 WATSON, TRAVIS 33:49 9 4/6   1/2 4 8 12     2 4   4 1 17
Team             2 2     1         1
Totals 200:00 52 15/26 5/20 7/12 8 27 35 9 2 22 6 1 18 20 52
57.7% 25% 58.3%
This game is not yet played

Head Coaches

PERASOVIC, VELIMIR
Cibona
"This was an extremely important game for us. It kept us alive in the Euroleague competition. All that mattered was to win and you could see that pressure on our players too. We had so much trouble scoring baskets, but my players also left all they had on the floor. As the game progressed, quarter by quarter, we allowed fewer and fewer points. It’s a pity we did not have more in-form players so we could decide the game a little earlier, but the final margin is satisfying."
KRAPIKAS, GINTARAS
Zalgiris
"We knew it would be very difficult to play in Zagreb because Cibona had no wins coming into this game and it was their last chance to stay in the race for the Top 16. They had a very tough schedule in the beginning of the Euroleague, so we in no way expected an easy game. When a team needs to win like Cibona did tonight, they fight like an injured animal and try to do everything to win. In such games it is not enough to win only with your starting five, you need help from your bench as well, and we had no help from our bench. In the fourth quarter we had no energy because we had a short rotation. Klimavicius stayed sick in the hotel, and our only point guard, Kalnietis, as well as Watson had a high temperature the night before the game."

Players

TOMAS, MARKO
Cibona
"The most important thing was to win this game. It was a tough, hard-fought game, and we won by a solid margin. That will be important if Zalgiris and us have the same number of victories. We did have trouble on offense, though, but we won with a team effort on defense. We deserved to win this game."
SALENGA, DAINIUS
Zalgiris
"It was an important game because Cibona is our rival for the last spot that leads to the Top 16. We played very bad, we made 22 mistakes and you cannot win games if you make 15 turnovers in the second half. That is the reason we lost. They forced us into making stupid decision on offense, we played one-on-five, the player who had the ball tried to create too much by himself. We needed to play more like a team on offense."
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