Seibutis sparks Neptunas to comeback win over Siauliai

Renaldas Seibutis had his best game of the season for Neptunas, helping the Klaipeda side extend their winning streak to eight games in the Betsafe LKL with a close escape against the visiting Siauliai in an 84-79 triumph on Thursday evening.

The second-placed Neptunas improved to a 15-3 mark in the domestic championship and continued their unbeaten run at home, while Siauliai dropped to eighth place with a 6-12 record.

The 32-year-old shooting guard went 6-of-8 from the field for 20 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals for an efficiency of 38, the best mark by any player in the league this season.

Neptunas found themselves down 77-70 midway through the fourth quarter, but rallied 7-0 to tie things up at 77-all after Seibutis drained a mid-range jumper with 3:26 remaining on the clock.

A pair of free-throws by Akeem Wright had put Siauliai back in front, but Betsafe LKL December MVP Edgaras Zelionis knocked down a crucial three-pointer and added a dunk to swing the scales the other way in crunchtime.

Zelionis was the second-leading scorer for Neptunas behind Seibutis with 14 points and 9 rebounds, Matas Jucikas chipped in with an 11-point effort, while Simas Galdikas and Jerry Johnson had 10 points apiece.

Siauliai giant Laurynas Birutis collected a team-highs of 15 points and 7 rebounds, while Donatas Sabeckis and Akeem Wright scored 10 points apiece and combined for 13 assists as a pair.