Popovic gives Zalgiris maiden Top 16 road win

Marko Popovic sank 3 free throws with no time on the clock in overtime to lead Zalgiris Kaunas over Brose Baskets Bamberg 87-88 at Stechert Arena on Thursday night. It was a thrilling game throughout and Bamberg seemed on track for its first Top 16 win when Anton Gavel sank free throws with 16 seconds left to put the German champs in front, but Gavel went from hero to goat when he fouled Popovic on the game's final play. The win lifted Zalgiris to 3-4 in Top 16 Group E, which is good for a tie for fifth place and one victory out of fourth. Popovic paced the Lithuanian champs with 21 points, while Ksistof Lavrinovic netted 16, Rimantas Kaukenas 14 and Darjus Lavrinovic 11 for the visitors, who outrebounded Bamberg 27-38. Gavel paced Brose Baskets with 25 points, Sharrod Ford scored 20, Philipp Neumann 13 and Casey Jacobsen 11, but the team's leading scorer this season, Bostjan Nachbar, was a non-factor in part due to foul trouble and finished without a basket and with just 3 points.