Two teams that suffered losses in semi-finals stepped on the floor in Kaunas to battle for the third place. Coaches of both Lietuvos Rytas and Ventspils had to prepare their players for the game after disappointing results on Saturday.
Lithuanian champions had a slightly better start as they held a narrow three-point lead after the first ten minutes with Jonas Valanciunas and Kenan Bajramovic leading the scoring charts.
Ventspils relied on their leader Brandon Hunter again. However, this time he received more help from his teammates. Oritseweyimi Efejuku was the most notable with 18 points and four assists.
Neither team managed to build a safe lead. Even though Rytas led for most of the time, the game was still open the gap between the two teams was just four points at the half time.
Rytas started the third period with more energy and soon enjoyed a double-digit lead. However, Ventspils didn’t let their opponents walk away with the win easily. Lithuanians were up by 8 points before the final ten minutes.
Latvian club put an effort to turn around the game as they tied the score with 7 minutes left to play in the fourth quarter. Brandon Hunter made one free-throw with 1:24 on the clock to give his team a single point lead.
The upset was avoided as Lietuvos Rytas players converted free-throws to claim the third place in BBL 84-80.
