Gargrždai beat Neptunas 87:78 in the Lithuanian Basketball League on 26 September. The hosts took control early and never looked back. Neptunas came into the fixture third in the table with 32 games played, but could not match the home side's rhythm.
The difference came from beyond the arc. Gargrždai found 10 three-pointers against 7 for the visitors, and here's the thing — they hit more shots overall. 33 field goals compared to 30, with the extra volume making the gap. Neptunas had more attempts, 27 to 24, but precision mattered more than volume.
The statistics tell a straightforward story. Gargrždai out-rebounded their opponents 30 to 37, but the defensive boards told the real tale — 22 to 23 was negligible. What separated them was efficiency: 64 field goal attempts for 87 points versus 68 attempts for 78. The visitors gave the ball away 13 times, while the hosts kept it tighter at 11 turnovers.
Neptunas had their moments. They won the assist battle 21:21, locked in defensively with 6 blocks to 2, and grabbed 14 offensive rebounds to keep possessions alive. By then though, the deficit had stretched beyond recovery. They lost their man on the break too often, and the home side played the second half a man up in terms of momentum.
The result keeps Neptunas in third place after 32 games. They sit on 17 wins and 15 losses, and are running out of games to climb. Gargrždai moved within touching distance of the top four with this victory.
We had backed Neptunas at 55 per cent confidence before kickoff. The prediction did not come off. The hosts turned it on from the opening tip, and the visitors could not find an answer.
