Zalgiris Kaunas extended its impressive EuroLeague form with an 86–77 home victory over Valencia Basket, snapping the visitors’ winning streak and improving to 7–2 on the season.
The Lithuanian side leaned on clutch perimeter shooting and a balanced offensive attack to claim its fourth consecutive win. Zalgiris hit 12 of 29 from beyond the arc and dominated the rebounding battle 41–32, dictating the pace throughout a high-energy contest.
Valencia hung around early but never fully recovered after Zalgiris connected on a buzzer-beating triple to close the third quarter. Maodo Lo’s late dagger—a spot-up three with 44 seconds remaining—sealed the outcome and pushed the hosts beyond reach.
Azuolas Tubelis was named player of the game after finishing with 11 points and eight rebounds.
Sylvain Francisco, the EuroLeague’s October MVP, once again led Zalgiris’ tempo with 15 points and seven assists. Lo contributed 12 points, while Moses Wright tallied a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Zalgiris controlled most of the second half after Lo’s buzzer-beater at the end of the third quarter gave them a 61–58 lead and a psychological edge. The home side opened the fourth on a 6–0 run, stretching the gap to seven, and kept the momentum thanks to steady execution and rebounding.
Valencia’s offense struggled to find rhythm from deep, shooting just 36.4% from three-point range and missing key chances in transition. Jaime Pradilla and Jean Montero both scored 15 points, but the Spanish team’s defensive rebounding issues allowed Zalgiris to secure extra possessions and second-chance points.
Zalgiris will next travel to face Olympiacos on Wednesday before visiting Dubai next Friday, while Valencia returns home to host Real Madrid on Tuesday and then heads to Paris on Thursday in Rounds 10 and 11.
