June 18, 2013
Regular Season Game 4 - November 24, 2005 CET: 20:45 Local time: 20:45 - S.DARIUS AND S.GIRENAS SPORT CENTER
Zalgiris 88 - 70 Benetton Basket

Records

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

Referees

Crew Chief
MITJANA, JUAN CARLOS, Spain
Referee
BELOSEVIC, ILIJA, Serbia
Umpire
AITCHESON, DALE, England

Team Stats

Ave.   Ave.
68.7 Points 82.7
36.3 Rebounds 32.0
10.0 O. Rebounds 8.3
26.3 D. Rebounds 23.7
11.3 Assists 14.0
11.0 Steals 11.3
3.3 Blocks 3.7
16.0 Turnovers 8.7
51.3 % 2PT 55.0 %
27.3 % 3PT 37.7 %
65.4 % FT 69.4 %
71.3 Index 98.3
Team Stats - Zalgiris
Team Stats - Benetton Basket

Player Stats

Ave.   Ave.
13.7 / FREEMAN, REGGIE Points 16.3 / Nicholas
6.3 / Jankunas Rebounds 8.7 / Goree
2.7 / SILINSKIS, DARIUS OR 3.0 / Goree
4.7 / Jankunas DR 5.7 / Goree
2.3 / COTA, ED Assists 5.0 / Zisis
2.3 / FREEMAN, REGGIE Steals 2.7 / Goree
1.7 / Lavrinovic, D. Blocks 2.0 / Goree
3.7 / Lavrinovic, D. Turnovers 2.7 / Goree
66.7 % / Maciulis 2PT 71.4 % / SLOKAR, UROS
42.9 % / Lavrinovic, D. 3PT 100.0 % / SLOKAR, UROS
81.8 % / FREEMAN, REGGIE FT 100.0 % / SLOKAR, UROS
14.7 / FREEMAN, REGGIE Index 22.3 / Goree
Team Roster - Zalgiris
Team Roster - Benetton Basket

THE TAKE

A pair of banged-up Group A teams will battle it out in Lithuania on Thursday when Zalgiris Kaunas hosts Benetton Treviso with position at the top of the standings in play. A win for Benetton (3-0) would be worth its weight in gold, keeping it above the rest of the group and among the few undefeated teams left in the Euroleague. Should the win go to Zalgiris (2-1), however, both teams would be tied with at least one more in the top position. Benetton continues to miss scoring ace Ramunas Siskauskas, whose back troubles have kept him out since Week 1, and travelled to Lithuania without reserve forward Andrea Bargnani, who is nursing knee problems. Their absences mean that guard Drew Nicholas (16.3 ppg.) will continue to see plenty of shots, a good thing considering that he has had a hot hand recently. Nicholas scored 26 points in last week's home win over Climamio and has made 7-of-13 three-pointers over the last two games. Zalgiris, still without all-Euroleague center Tanoka Beard, will also miss forward Simonas Serapinas (7.3 ppg.) who was injured in domestic play over the weekend, while the participation of guard Vidas Ginevicius (4.6 ppg.) is questionable due to injury. In their stead, backcourt players Ed Cota (5 ppg.), Elias Ayuso (8 ppg.) and Reggie Freeman (13.7 ppg., 6 rpg.) will need to pick up their games for Zalgiris, while trying to limit their team's 16 turnovers per game. That's because Benetton, the league leader with just 8.7 turnovers on average, will not make gifts of its possessions, lease of all point guard Nikos Zisis (12 ppg., 5 apg.), who boasts a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Safe but sure ball movement might help Zalgiris's low 68.7 point-per-game scoring, among the lowest in the league. The absence of Beard could hurt the hosts in more than one way. Aside from his points and rebounds, his defensive presence – and fouls to give – could be sorely lacked against Benetton's starting frontline of Marcus Goree (13.3 ppg., 8.7 rpg., 2 bpg.) and Petar Popovic (11.6 ppg.). Therefore, the play on both ends of forward Paulius Jankunas (13 ppg., 6.3 rpg.), center Darjus Lavrinovic (10.3 ppg., 5.7 rpg.) and big Darius Silinksas, author of a double-double in last week's loss at AEK, will be crucial to the home team's chances.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Euroleague.net

Quotes Head Coaches

Players

Zalgiris Kaunas overcame some key abscenses by thrashing previously undefeated Benetton Treviso 88-70 at home in Kaunas, Lithuania in Group A on Thursday. Both teams now share a three-way tie atop the Group A standings along with Tau Ceramica, all with 3-1 records. Larry Ayuso led the winners with 19 points on 4 of 8 triples. Darjus Lavrinovic and Reggie Freeman each added 18 points for the winners, Paulius Jankunas 12 on 6-for-9 shooting, while Ed Cota scored 10 points and dished 7 assists. Zalgiris played again without star big man Tanoka Beard, who was joined on the sidelines by guard Vidas Ginevicius. Petar Popovic led Benetton with 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting while Uros Slokar and Drew Nicholas each had 11 for the guests. Zalgiris had a strong start, as Cota and Jankunas pushed the hosts to a 25-19 lead after 10 minutes. Little changed after that as Zalgiris extended its margin to 43-35 at halftime and already had sealed the outcome, 66-48, at the end of the third quarter, as Benetton only managed to exchange baskets throughout the final period.

Zalgiris had an excellent start, racing ahead 8-2 with triples by Ayuso and Freeman and flashy basket by Cota. Nicholas stepped up with jumper from the high post and Popovic followed him with a basket-plus-foul that got the visitors within 12-11. Zalgiris responded with 4 points by Jankunas, to which Cota added a pair of free throws. Lavrinovic checked in with a turnaround jumper and a two-handed slam that boosted the hosts' lead to 22-13. Benetton took advantage of Beard's absence with a couple of easy baskets from under the rim by Marcus Goree and Nikos Zisis, but Zalgiris closed the first quarter ahead 25-19.

Zalgiris didn't slowed down in the second quarter as Ayuso and Freeman again made bombs from downtown for the first double-digit lead, 31-21. Zagiris's man-on-man defense limited Benetton's perimeter players but Popovic found open shots inside. Youngster Jonas Maciulis scored his first point for Zalgiris, while Guilherme Giovannoni broke the ice with jumper for Benetton. But the visitors struggled on defense as Freeman hit a new triple from the right corner that made it 34-25. Cota fed Lavrinovic for a dunk and scored himself while Ayuso added 2 more free throws to keep the hosts in front, 43-35, at the half..

Ayuso opened third quarter with shot from behind the arc that made him the top scorer of the game so far, with 14 points. Cota copied him and Jankunas added a fastbreak basket for an 8-0 run that more or less broke the game open. Marco Mordente made a shot from a downtown and added another basket for Benetton, but the visitors could not stop Ayuso, who drove for a difficult layup, nor Freeman, whose latest triple charged up the crowd and put Zalgiris ahead 58-44. Darius Silinskis made 2 free throws for the biggest lead yet, 63-46. Ayuso and Cota again teamed up and Benetton had no remedy for their speed as Zalgiris took a 66-48 edge into the final quarter.

Freeman started the fourth quarter with 3 free throws but Benetton answered with Popovic's three-point play and a tip-in by Goree. Lavrinovic made nice fakes before dunking and Zalgiris continued its superb performance on offense with a three-point by Maciulis and triple by Ayuso. Nicholas answered with difficult three pointer. Jankunas fed Lavrinovic for a dunk with no look assist in the paint. Benetton found Matteo Sorgana in the downtown for a triple that got visitors as close as 81-65, but got no closer as Cota and Jankunas managed the margin until Zalgiris had a solid home victory, 88-70, and its own share of first place in Group A.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Antanas Pakula, Kaunas
Referees: MITJANA, JUAN CARLOS (ESP), BELOSEVIC, ILIJA (SRB), AITCHESON, DALE (ENG), RIMKUS, TOMAS (LTU)
Attendance: 0
By Quarter1234
Zalgiris25182322
Benetton Basket19161322
End of Quarter1234
Zalgiris25436688
Benetton Basket19354870
Head coach: SIREIKA, ANTANAS
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 FREEMAN, REGGIE 37:00 18 1/4 4/8 4/6   4 4   3 1     1 4 18
7 LAVRINOVIC, DARJUS 33:00 18 8/14 0/1 2/2 3 5 8 4   2 2 1 2 2 22
8 MACIULIS, JONAS 21:15 7 1/4 1/2 2/3 2 3 5   1     1 4 3 6
9 KELYS, ZYDRUNAS DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
10 COTA, ED 40:00 10 1/2 2/4 2/2   5 5 7 2 1     1 1 20
12 DILYS, VILMANTAS DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
13 JANKUNAS, PAULIUS 22:15 12 6/9 0/2   1 4 5 3 1 1     4 2 13
14 SILINSKIS, DARIUS 11:30 4 1/3   2/2 1 2 3     1 2   1 1 6
15 SERAPINAS, SIMONAS DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
22 ALEKSANDROVAS, ANDRIUS 0:30                              
23 AYUSO, LARRY 34:30 19 2/4 4/8 3/4 2 2 4 2   1   1 3 4 17
Team                   4           4
Totals 200:00 88 20/40 11/25 15/19 9 25 34 16 11 7 4 3 16 17 106
50% 44% 78.9%
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: BLATT, DAVID
Benetton Basket
# 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 KALVE, ERNESTS DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
6 ZISIS, NIKOS 35:00 2 1/6     1 1 2 5 1 1   1 3 1 1
7 SORAGNA, MATTEO 23:30 9 3/5 1/2   1 2 3           3 1 7
9 MORDENTE, MARCO 23:00 9 2/3 1/1 2/2 1 1 2 3 1 2     4 2 10
10 SLOKAR, UROS 18:15 11 2/6 1/1 4/6 3 2 5 1 1     1 1 3 13
12 NICHOLAS, DREW 34:00 11 4/7 1/4     5 5 5   3   1 2 2 11
14 SZALAY, GABRIEL DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
16 SOTTANA, LUCA DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
18 GOREE, MARCUS 35:00 8 3/9 0/3 2/2 1 7 8 1   2 3 1 1 4 11
19 POPOVIC, PETAR 18:00 16 7/10   2/2 1 3 4     2       3 18
20 GIOVANNONI, GUILHERME 13:15 4 2/3 0/1     1 1 1   1     3    
Team                   4           4
Totals 200:00 70 24/49 4/12 10/12 8 22 30 16 7 11 3 4 17 16 75
49% 33.3% 83.3%
This game is not yet played

Head Coaches

SIREIKA, ANTANAS
Zalgiris
"It's really hard to say something after such a game. Our players entered the game very motivated and played hard until the final buzzer. Zalgiris has an old tradition - when we have difficulties we play just better. We missed our three very important players because of the injuries, however that worked out better for my team because every player shared the responsibility and played with all the heart. Cota and Ayuso had a very good game tonight. They showed their best performance in the tournament so far, but I expect to see them playing at that level in the future games, too."
BLATT, DAVID
Benetton Basket
"We couldn't pick our game from the very beginning. I can find good reasons why we played so bad but I have to give credit to Zalgiris. They played great tonight and earned the victory. I think Ed Cota had a superb performance tonight, he ran the ball well and made his team look great. I coached him last season in St. Petersburg and I know he is an excellent player. We lost the game tonight but it's not the end of the era because the key games are comming in the future."

Players

FREEMAN, REGGIE
Zalgiris
"We played a great game. We played a great defense. I think we had a good beginning of the third quarter when all our players were on fire. I think it was a key moment of the game. Tonight we scored many easy shots, offense just worked better for us."
COTA, ED
Zalgiris
"It's a big win for us after our loss in Greece. This was our opportunity to make up after that game. It was a home game but we didn't expected to win by 20 points. It really showed our potential and I hope we will keep going in further games as well. I think the key was defense tonight. We played hard on the defense and every player passed the ball around well. We had a really good game tonight. We made the easy shots and were better at the boards. I think that led us to victory."
ZISIS, NIKOS
Benetton Basket
"We knew it would be a very difficult road game. We've lost but the atmosphere of the game was really great. We were poor from the very beginning. We didn't react well during the whole game. I think this game won't get us off the rhythm and we will be better in the next game."
GOREE, MARCUS
Benetton Basket
"Zalgiris played good especially on defense. They rebounded well and that didn't give us the chance to compete with them at the same level. We struggled at the offense. We couldn't make the shots. They outplayed us tonight. We couldn't get into our rhythm. I know Sporto Hale is a place where it's very hard to achieve the victory. We knew that Zalgiris has problems with injuries currently but we had the same problem because we missed our important players in this game, too. Anyway, Zalgiris handled their problems better then we did."
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