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2009-03-24 Siauliai starts play-offs with a road win over ASK Riga
Author: Edgars Gleizdans; Photo by Gintaras Siuparys

The hosts ASK Riga in nervous ending of the game lost to team Siauliai in the first play-off game with the result 75:76 (18:13, 17:24, 17:23, 23:16).


Starters: ASK Riga – Vitols, Mazutis, Helmanis, Grafs, Runkauskas
Siauliai – Maceina, Kadziulis, S.Kuzminskas, Praskevicius, Vileita


Vitols with a three-pointer opened the result of the game. Next on Siauliai scored 6 points in a row. However, after this Siauliai could not score for a while. ASK Riga took over the lead and Grafs was the main scorer. At this point of time ASK Riga was leading the game with the result 11:6. S.Kuzminskas and Kalve exchanged the shots in the next episodes. Further on ASK Riga got a biggest lead in the game with the result 18:11. Then S.Kuzminskas realized a jumper setting the final result of this quarter 18:13.


Siauliai started the second quarter impressively scoring nine points in a row and taking over the lead 18:22. ASK Riga was forced to take a time-out. It helped as Mazutis realized a three-pointer. Further on ASK Riga forced Siauliai to make a turnover and Grafs could score a lay-up. He already had scored ten points at this moment. Siauliai after Danusevicius jump-shot regained the lead 23:24. Further on it continued to be an equal game as Helmanis regained the lead for ASK Riga but then M.Kuzminskas again took over the lead for Siauliai. Both teams was in front many times in this quarter but the result before the half-time was 35:37 Siauliai being ahead.


After the half-time Siauliai increased the lead 39:46. Kadziulis then added a jump-shot making the result 39:48. Then it was a turnover for Mazutis but Vileita answered with two free-throws. Finally Grafs scored for ASK Riga. Siauliai scored a three-pointer but Helmanis answered with the same. The result at this moment was 44:53 in the favour of team Siauliai. After a bunch of unsuccessful episodes for both teams Mazutis scored for ASK Riga. Slezas shot from beyond the arc and was precise. Siauliai managed to hold the lead around 10 points and did not let team ASK Riga closer in the result. After the third quarter the result was 52:60 Siauliai winning the game.


Siauliai opened the result in the final quarter but Vitols answered with a quick three-pointer for ASK Riga. On the next episodes both teams missed their shots. Then Vitols gave a good pass to Grafs but there was a foul against him. Grafs scored both free-throws and it was only minus five for ASK Riga. Then there were two unfortunate episodes for ASK and Siauliai realized 4 free-throws in a row. Runkauskas answered with two free-throws but Vileita got an offensive foul. It was a fifth for him and he left the field. Runkauskas got his next turnover but M.Kuzminskas realized a three-pointer. Then Stelmahers made an impressive jump-shot making it 61:69. Then Siauliai realized both free-throws. Helmanis on the other side made a three-pointer and additionally there was a foul against Kalve. Kalve realized one out of two free-throws. But Maceina made a turnover on the other side. Helmanis showed a character fighting for the offensive rebounds and it gave the result. Mazutis realized a three-pointer but Kalve added a fast dunk and only 70:71. Kadziulis scored a three-pointer but Helmanis travelled. Time-out for ASK Riga. With a help of Kalve ASK got as close as 73:74. Then Slezas scored both free-throws and plus 3 for Siauliai but time-out for ASK Riga. Then there was a foul against Vitols and he realized both free-throws. Hannah got an opportunity to shoot from the free-throw line but he missed both. ASK got an opportunity to win the game but unsuccessfully this time. The final result was 75:76 Siauliai being victorious.


ASK Riga: Grafs 18, Kalve 15, Helmanis 14, Mazutis 11, Vitols 8, Runkauskas 5, Stelmahers 4
Siauliai: Vileita 14, Hannah 12, Kadziulis 12, S.Kuzminskas 10, M.Kuzminskas 8, Praskevicius 8, Slezas 7, Maceina 3, Danusevicius 2, Pridotkas

Before the game The SEB BBL MVP of February award was presented by Ainars Ozols, the president of SEB bank Latvia.

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