Kalev/Cramo is the only Estonian team left in the series.

19-year-old Stefan Vaaks again practically carried Kalev's game, scoring 23 points, grabbing five rebounds, and delivering two assists in the closely fought match.

The first half ended in a 38:38 tie, then in the third quarter, the hosts pulled ahead to 28:23, entering the final quarter with a five-point lead, at 66:61.

However, Zelli started that last quarter with a 6:0 run, going on to be one point ahead, only for Vaaks to reclaim the lead by a point, with that pattern repeating once, after which Kalev built up their lead further.

At one point, the Estonian team led by as much as 11 points with things at 81:70, and though Zelli closed that gap, it was insufficient to win.

Gregor Kuuba was the only other Kalev player to reach double digits in points scored, contributing 14 points, grabbing five rebounds, and handing out two assists.

The second game of the best-of-three series is to be played on Saturday in Riga.

The other semifinal is an all-Latvian affair as Riga VEF faces BK Ogre starting today, Thursday.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!