Motum and Madgen motoring in Europe
In round 2 of EuroLeague, Zalgiris Kaunas earned a victory over Laboral Kutxa Baskonia, while Panevezys Lietkabelis got the win over Cedevita Zagreb in the EuroCup what was a big game for Ben Madgen.
Zalgiris Kaunas took on Laboral Kutxa Baskonia in what was a competitive game from start to finish. Tipping-off the first half of action, Baskonia came out as the aggressors and their excellent play through the first two quarters allowed them to go into halftime up 40-34.
However in the second half the tables turned, as Zalgiris looked like the team that wanted it more. Through the two final periods of play they stepped up their defensive efforts, holding the opposition to just 12 points in the fourth quarter. That came back to hurt Baskonia, as Zalgiris came away with a 78-73 win.
Brock Motum had himself quite the night, scoring easy baskets inside all game on his way to putting up 12 points on an efficient 6/11 shooting. But the offensive end wasn’t the only place his presence was felt; defensively he played well in getting his hands on one block, while hauling in 3 rebounds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXSxFMn2qtc
Ben Madgen was a key contributor in helping Panevezys Lietkabelis to victory over Cedevita Zagreb. His high motor and energy defensively continued to be a positive for Lietkabelis, while his play-making skills (3 assists) have also been a welcome addition to the club.
Madgen's scoring is what propelled Lietkabelis to the win. In the final quarter of play he was the go-to guy, scoring clutch baskets (5 points down the stretch) when Lietkabelis needed it most. He finished the game with 11 points, shooting 50% from the field (5/10 FG).
To kick off the first half of play Lietkabelis came out looking to prove something. Through the first two quarters they thoroughly outplayed Cedevita Zagreb, allowing Lietkabelis to go into the main break up 48-37.
They continued piling on the points in the second half but Cedevita slowly caught up, making a game of it. But by then it was already too late, as Lietkabelis continued to score timely baskets whenever their adversary went on a run of their own, allowing the Lithuanian side to come away victors 80-74. Lietkabelis now sits at 2-0 in the early stages of EuroCup action.