Giedrius Žibėnas’s team lost at home 70:75 (21:15, 16:27, 25:19, 8:14) to Kaunas Žalgiris.
This was the fifth encounter between the Lithuanian giants this season, including the Citadele KMT final.
Rytas complicated its chances of holding onto second place in the standings, as Klaipėda Neptūnas (14-10) and Šiauliai (15-10) are close behind the Vilnius team. These teams will face each other on Sunday evening.
The Vilnius team started the game confidently, quickly gaining an 8-point lead (13:5) after accurate three-pointers from Martynas Paliukėnas and Simonas Lukošius. Although Laurynas Birutis and Edgaras Ulanovas tried to stabilize Žalgiris’s game, the hosts maintained the initiative after the first quarter – 21:15.
In the second quarter, Rytas had even increased their lead to 9 points, but then Žalgiris responded with a powerful run. Led by L. Birutis under the basket and Mantas Rubštavičius’s three-pointers, the guests took control, won the segment, and pulled ahead before halftime – 42:37.
After the break, Rytas regained the initiative when Ignas Sargiūnas hit two consecutive three-pointers to tie the score. The quarter was marked by an extremely fluctuating battle, and at the very end, Jerrick Harding’s drive allowed the Vilnius team to lead by a minimal margin before the decisive period – 62:61.
The decisive quarter became a defensive battle, in which Rytas’s offense completely stalled, scoring only 8 points. Žalgiris, utilizing shots from experienced E. Ulanovas and Arnas Butkevičius, built a fragile lead and protected it at the end of the game to celebrate a victory on enemy territory.
Rytas: Augustas Marčiulionis 13, Martynas Echodas and Martynas Paliukėnas 11 each, Ignas Sargiūnas 8, Jerrickas Hardingas and Gytis Masiulis 6 each.
Žalgiris: Edgaras Ulanovas 17, Arnas Butkevičius 13, Laurynas Birutis 12, Dovydas Giedraitis 11, Mantas Rubštavičius 9, Ignas Brazdeikis 8.
Source: LKL.lt