NEPTUNAS RESISTED TO OLYMPIAKOS FIERCELY IN GREECE

Playing in Greece without the injured captain of the team, Martynas Mazeika, Neptunas from Klaipeda managed to resist fiercely to the top contenders of the Euroleague Group D - the basketball players from Pireaus Olympiakos. The basketball players from Klaipeda lost this match with the score of 79:89 (19:24, 17:23, 17:22, 26:20).

BasketNews.lt highlights that it was the best Neptunas match on the road throughout the four games. The basketball players have lost the match on the road with the deficit lower than 17 points and scored 13 more points than the average for the first time during the three matches on the road.

The hosts of the court started the match better with the score of 4:0. However, shortly afterwards, Neptunas felt the rhythm of the match and responded with the spurt of 11:0 and it allowed them to be in the lead with the score 11:4.

Unfortunately, the Greeks had a double advantage and they were always in the lead on the second quarter.

In the middle of the fourth quarter, the teams were divided by 9 points (71:62) and Justas Sinica could reduce the deficit to 6 points by scoring a triple. But he missed, Olympiakos made up the spurt with the score of 7:0 and these were the crucial points of the match - 78:62.

Neptunas amazed the opponents placing Keith Benson in the starting line-up. Up to now, throughout four matches, he scored 8 points. This time, the American scored 11 points and had 8 rebounds, playing the best personal match in the Neptunas team.

The basketball players from Klaipeda played without the the captain, Martynas Mazeika, who injured his foot.

Olympiakos: Brent Petway - 20, Bryant Dunston - 15, Vassilis Spanoulis - 14 (9 assists, 5 rebounds), Oliver Lafayette - 12.

Neptunas: Donatas Zavackas - 15, Keith Benson (8 rebounds) and Arnas Butkevicius - 11, Mustafa Shakur and Deividas Gailius (2/11 shots, 4 turnovers) - 9, Simas Galdikas (4/4 two-pointers) and Valdas Vasylius - 8, Justas Sinica - 6 points.

We would like to remind you that their first match, played in Klaipeda on 31 October, nearly ended with the largest Euroleague sensation in this season. One of the most titled teams of this tournament - Pireaus Olympiakos - could have been defeated. The Euroleague champions of 1997, 2012 and 2013 won against Neptunas only in overtime with the score of 85:81.

On 8 December (on Monday) at 6 pm, the basketball players from Neptunas will play their next LKL match against the Pasvalys Pieno Zvaigzdes team in Pasvalys, which have been playing well recently.

The next Euroleague match in Klaipeda is on 10 December

The next Neptunas home match (at the Svyturys arena) will be held on 10 December (on Wednesday) at 6:45 pm against the Istanbul Galatasaray Liv Hospital team (Turkey). The Turkish team won the first match of these teams, held in Istanbul on 7 November, with the score of 94:68.

Galatasaray is one of the oldest Turkish clubs, founded in 1904. They have become the Turkish champions 11 times. Galatasaray have won the Turkish Basketball Championship, held since 1966, five times - in 1969, 1985, 1986, 1990 and 2013. They have won the Turkish Cup three times - in 1970, 1972 and 1995.

Galatasaray have participated in the Euroleague competitions for the third time during the last four seasons. This Istanbul team entered TOP-16 stage in the 2011-2012 season. During the last season (2013-2014) Galatasaray managed to enter TOP-8 stage.

We would like to remind you that Neptunas have won three victories in the most prestigious European basketball tournament - the Euroleague: the basketball players, coached by Kazys Maksvytis, defeated the Serbian Cup Winners of the last two years, Belgrade Crvena Zvezda, at the Svyturys arena with the score of 83:81 on 23 October, they defeated the last season's European Cup Winners, Valencia Basket from Valencia (Spain), with the score of 94:87 on 13 November and Vitoria Laboral Kutxa (Spain) with the score of 80:79 on 20 November.