page_title: BC Neptūnas
section_title: 2015–16 season: Second EuroCup season
hierarchical_section_title: BC Neptūnas / History / Historical victories and achievements (2012–2016) / 2015–16 season: Second EuroCup season
caption_attribution_description: English: Lithuanian basketball coach Dainius Adomaitis
context_page_description: Basketball Club Neptūnas, commonly known as Neptūnas or Neptūnas Klaipėda, is a Lithuanian professional basketball team based in Klaipėda, Lithuania. The club participates in the Lithuanian Basketball League and internationally in the Champions League. It was founded in 1962 under the name BC Maistas and in 1964, BC Maistas's name was changed to BC Neptūnas. The club carries the name of the Roman sea god Neptune. Neptūnas participated in the 2014–15 EuroLeague season and is only the third Lithuanian club to participate in the premier European basketball league, after Žalgiris and Rytas.
context_section_description: Following the lost LKL semi-final and the bronze final last season, Neptūnas did not automatically qualify into the EuroCup. But on June 29, 2015, they received the wild card to the tournament. For the first time in history, three Lithuanian basketball clubs were invited to participate in the second-tier European league. Krasta Auto (authorized BMW dealer in Lithuania) became one of the club sponsors, giving brand-new cars for the club members.
  Neptūnas began the summer by losing former leader Deividas Gailius, who signed with Lietuvos rytas Vilnius. Gailius was replaced with one of the last season Juventus leaders Arvydas Šikšnius. Furthermore, former Juventus head coach Dainius Adomaitis signed a two-year deal with Neptūnas as well. Past Lithuania men's national basketball team head coach Kęstutis Kemzūra, Olympic champion Valdemaras Chomičius, Lithuania national team head coach assistant Darius Maskoliūnas and Gediminas Petrauskas were other solid candidates to replace Kazys Maksvytis. Neptūnas captain Martynas Mažeika signed a new two-year contract with the club. It was his 11th season at Neptūnas. Vytautas Šarakauskas and Simas Galdikas stayed with Neptūnas as well, both signing two-year contracts with the club. One of BK Ventspils's leaders Jerai Grant became the club's first foreigner in the summer of 2015. University of Rhode Island graduate Gilvydas Biruta, who represented the Denver Nuggets during the 2015 NBA Summer League, also joined BC Neptūnas. Three times Polish league champion and experienced EuroLeague player Daniel Ewing became Neptūnas' main point guard on August 15, 2015. Neptūnas also signed multiple NCAA three-pointers record holder Travis Bader to strengthen the shooting guard position.
  On October 14, 2015 the new 2015–16 EuroCup season began with a loss to the powerful Galatasaray S.K. squad 90–94 in Klaipėda. The second game versus the Hapoel Jerusalem was not successful either, losing it 74–59. But afterwards the team began showing a very solid form. They won 6 of 7 games, including the noteworthy away games victories versus the BC Nizhny Novgorod 78–82 and Galatasaray S.K. 76–82, both of them being EuroLeague Top 16 participants last season. During the last match of the regular season versus the AEK, Neptūnas was even able to guarantee the first place in the group, but after dissipating a 16-point advantage in the third quarter, lost it 75–71 and finished second. Just before the start of the EuroCup's Last 32 stage, Trent Plaisted replaced Simas Galdikas. Despite a very successful first stage, the Last 32 phase began with a desperate loss to Aris 84–58 in Thessaloniki. However, the team then created a feast in Klaipėda, defeating Alba Berlin 73–65. Following it, Neptūnas suffered two close defeats to the Italian powerhouse EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (79–71 in Milan and 73–74 in Klaipėda). The pleasant 72–68 rematch with Aris left the Neptūnas hopes for the playoffs alive, though it vanished after losing to Alba 62–76 in Berlin and finishing with a 2–4 record in the second round.
  On 19–21 February, Neptūnas competed in the newly formed Karaliaus Mindaugo taurė tournament. The team easily overcame BC Šiauliai 96–58 at the quarter-final, but was powerfully stopped at the semi-final by the upcoming champions Lietuvos rytas Vilnius 97–79. Still, they rehabilitated by winning the club's first Lithuanian Cup bronze medals after crushing Vytautas Prienai-Birštonas 88–51. Shortly after the competition, Gilvydas Biruta was replaced with Angus Brandt.
  In LKL, Neptūnas finished the regular season with a third seed and a 19–17 record. Švyturys Arena had the most spectators in the LKL for a second straight season, this time with 3,474 per game.  In the quarter-final, Neptūnas eliminated BC Šiauliai 3–1. The semi-final series versus Lietuvos rytas Vilnius was one of the most dramatic in the league's history. Neptūnas began it by shocking Rytas in their home arena with an 83–71 victory. Afterwards, the team also secured their home court in Game 2, winning 70–68. The fate of the historic series was to be determi
caption: Dainius Adomaitis replaced Kazys Maksvytis in 2015.
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