Juventus Utena continued its remarkable playoff run by defeating Neptunas 103-90 to reach the Lithuanian League Finals for the first time in club history. The seventh-seeded team also secured a place in next season's FIBA Champions League regular season and will now face Zalgiris Kaunas for the league title.
Juventus Utena continued their dream season by reaching the Lithuanian Basketball League Finals for the first time in club history.
The seventh-seeded team knocked off Neptunas Klaipeda 103-90 in Game 4 of the semifinals, winning the series 3-1 and booking a place in the championship round against Zalgiris Kaunas.
The result marks one of the biggest surprises of the season in Lithuanian basketball. After finishing the regular season in seventh place, Juventus have now fought their way into the title series.
The victory also secured the club a spot in next season's FIBA Basketball Champions League regular season. The city of Utena has a population of approximately 25,000 people.
Credit LKL, R.Lukoševičius
Playing in front of a sold-out home crowd, Juventus received strong support from 3,004 fans, their highest attendance since a December 2017 matchup against Zalgiris.
The hosts took control of the game in the second quarter after a balanced opening period. Led by Paulius Valinskas, Juventus opened the quarter with a dominant 12-0 run and quickly built a double-digit advantage.
Their offense continued to fire on all cylinders throughout the first half. A spectacular basket from Valinskas late in the second quarter pushed the lead to 55-35 and gave Juventus full control heading into the break.
Credit LKL, R.Lukoševičius
Neptunas refused to go away quietly. The visitors responded with a strong third quarter, outscoring Juventus 34-23 and cutting the deficit to just eight points at 78-70.
However, Juventus stayed composed in the final period. The home team slowed down Neptunas' momentum, regained control of the game, and pulled away in the closing minutes to secure the historic 103-90 victory.
The Lithuanian League Finals between Juventus and Zalgiris will begin on June 7 in a best-of-five series.
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