Žalgiris rallies from 10 points down to beat Barcelona

Kaunas basketball team Žalgiris came back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Barcelona 88-81 in the EuroLeague on Friday. Coach Tomas Masiulis praised his players for staying calm and thanked the travelling supporters, LRT reported.

Žalgiris, now 2-2, won 23-18, 16-23, 16-24 and 33-16 across the four quarters. Barcelona also has a 2-2 record.

“Congratulations to the players for staying together and not panicking, for playing our basketball. Congratulations to the fans, we really heard them, and it was great to play away almost like at home,” Masiulis said.

He said the team had expected a game of “ups and downs” and needed to be patient. The win was important for building belief in the team’s approach, he said, but added that the players would not celebrate for long and would move on.

Masiulis said Žalgiris made no major changes during its fourth-quarter comeback. The team avoided forcing shots and patiently looked for its players, he said. After levelling the score, Žalgiris found it easier to play. Masiulis also discussed Sabenas Lee’s return and its effect on the team.