Zielona Gora downed PARMA on the road – 85:79 (24:20, 23:21, 22:21, 16:17).
Top scorers
PARMA: Eigirdas Zukauskas (16 + 7 rebounds), Adas Juskevicius (16 + 5 assists), Robert Johnson (12).
Zielona Gora: Gabriel Lundberg (25 + 6 rebounds + 5 assists), Rolands Freimanis (21), Geoffrey Groselle (19 + 9 rebounds).
Story
PARMA (4-4) and Zielona Gora (4-6) had come to this game on 7th and 8th places accordingly, making it a battle for the playoff spot. Both teams met Astana last round: Zielona Gora got a comfortable win while the Russians were beaten with a minimal margin.
Perm gained control making 81% of 2-pointers and 53% field goals in the first half, but it wasn’t enough. Zielona Gora responded with signature aggression. They made 19 free throws and 7 of 12 from beyond the arc. Two three-pointers by Rolands Freimanis helped the guests to take the lead in the late first half. The second quarter had the same scenario: teams were levelled, but then Zielona Gora made a small run. 47:41 after the first half.
After the break, PARMA started the chase, but they were stopped by unforced errors and active Gabriel Lundberg: 7 straight points in the late third quarter. Zielona Gora even increased the lead before the decisive period.
Key moment
PARMA started with a 5:2 in the first 5 minutes, but it didn’t get to real intrigue. Baskets by Lundberg, Freimanis and Geoffrey Groselle helped Zielona Gora keep the distance. Eigirdas Zukauskas erased the difference down to 4 points twice, but the green jerseys matched with free throws and good defense. Zielona Gora overpassed the opponents in the standings with this victory.
Hero
Gabriel Lundberg. The Dannish was the top scorer of the game and 18 of his 25 points were made in the key moments of the second half. He also made 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals.
Stat
100. Nikolay Zhmako’s hundredth game in the United League. The guard is the first PARMA player to have 100 League games.
Comment
PARMA head coach Kazys Maksvytis:
“I can’t blame my team for energy today. They fought well. Sometimes it played against us as we made mistakes, and the opponents converted them. The Polish team are aggressive, we knew it but didn’t react well. Plus, we were unlucky with the open shots. The little things made it tonight.”
Zielona Gora head coach Zan Tabak:
“First of all, it’s a great success for us to get an away win in VTB League! Secondly, I know how much basketball means here in Perm. Everytime I was here as a player or as a coach, the arena was full. It’s a special thing to win here. We fought from the start to the very end even with two injured players left at home. The players believed in success, and I’m happy to have a team like this.”
Next
PARMA: December 26 at Khimki
Zielona Gora: December 23 at Avtodor
Photo
